The Legend of Zelda: The Four Heroes
by The Legendary Olympians
Summary: One day, four children set off to start their own life, after being kept under lock and key for years. But what they don't expect is that they get swept straight into the middle of a great adventure! With the Four Sword (and special, hidden abilities) in hand, Blue, Red, Vio, and Green must fight for Hyrule... as a certain shadow watches from afar. Rated T! R&R, and Flame too! :D
1. Birth of the Heroes

**Dargon: YAAAAAY! AND WE'RE BACK~! AUTHOR'S INS! This is another FF about The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. YAYZ!**

**Nike: I edited. :P That's it. I've never played LoZ before, so basically whenever I write with them as characters, the personalities are basically all picked up from various fanfics. So sorry if anything I write with LoZ characters are OOC. *Cough* Stuck in Hyrule *Cough*. R&R!**

**Dargon: Well, it's not that hard… Blue's aggressive, Green's something, Red's innocent, and Vio's… well, we've had this discussion before. Is Vio considered wise or smart? LOL**

**Nike: Well, calling someone 'wise' makes them seem old, and calling someone 'smart' makes the person sound...Vio-ish (Dargon: And Annabeth-ish.). So, I'd say that he's just 'smart'. Sorry, to those who don't understand my unfair reasoning.**

**Dargon: Potatoes! ON WITH DA SHOW!**

**Nike: No! Bananas! And oranges! Rin and Len Kagamine! Okay, now on with da fanfic!**

**Dargon: Hold on! Potatoesbananasoranges OK DONE ON WITH DA SHOW FOR REALZ**

* * *

_ The young woman smiled sadly at her little children. All of them looked the exact same, like little quadruplets._

_"They're beautiful," Her nurse agreed._

_The mother looked at them again, trying to take in all of their features, their bright, honey-colored blond hair, their sky-blue misty eyes. Trying to have something to hold onto when she…_

_It was too bad she'd never be able to see them again. The mother smiled one last time as she felt the last of her strength leave her. She closed her eyes and took her last breath, a slow but grateful release, and then she was far gone where no one could call her back._

_The nurse watched the mother drift into an eternal sleep, and then she gently gathered up the little children in her arms and turned to leave. As she opened the door, she looked back one last time at the peaceful mother and whispered, "Good luck."_

The four children who had been born were raised in a secluded area in the nursery. They lived like that for eight years, without any physical contact or so much as a glimpse of another person besides themselves. As they grew older, the children began to realize how important each one was to the other. And, after years of bickering and fighting amongst themselves, they learned to trust and rely on each other. The four children were exactly alike, with golden hair and blue, piercing eyes. They were given different-colored clothes to wear in order to help an outsider tell them apart. Thus, the nicknames each child would call one another was coined by the color they were wearing. But they all still shared the same original name…

Link.

* * *

Blue stared out the window as the rain fell down in great torrents, flooding the ground below. He turned to look at his duplicates: Vio, who was reading one of the books for the hundredth time stored away in their room, Green, who was lying on his back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, and Red, who was trying to cheer everyone up despite the gloomy atmosphere the rains had carried with them.

"It should be over soon," Red said, though even he looked unsure of himself. "I mean, it's been raining for a long time. And we might even see a rainbow after the rain!"

Green sighed, half-tired, half-bored. "I don't get it," he murmured to himself.

Vio looked over from his book. "What?"

"They just left us in this room. Right after birth, they said. And then they don't talk to us again, much less let us take one step out. Why? Who was our mother? What happened to her?"

Blue turned back to the window. They had asked themselves those questions for years on end now, and they still hadn't gotten an answer. Blue didn't think they were going to get one anytime soon anyways, so he kept his mouth shut and continued to watch as the water poured down from the sky.

Hours later, none of them had changed position or done anything else. Blue suddenly stood up, drawing the attention of the others.

"Okay, I've officially decided something," Blue announced.

Green snorted. "Who died and made you captain?"

"Shut up for a sec! I think it's time for us to go."

Red blinked; he had been half-asleep. "Wait… What? Go where?"

Blue rolled his eyes at Red's incompetence. "Go. G-O. Go outside, run away."

"Run… away?"

Blue nodded. "I'm sick of this place. Let's just get escape and get outta here. There's nothing good for us here if we continue to stay like this."

Green immediately shot to his feet. "I'm totally with you." Then he added, "For once."

Vio and Red were a tad bit more hesitant, looking at each other uncertainly.

"What?" Blue snapped. He wanted out of this place as soon as possible.

"But… don't you think we may be missing the point, here?" Vio asked. "I mean, what if they're keeping us here for a reason?"

"Like what?" Blue had him there. Vio couldn't think of a response. Instead, Vio only shrugged. Blue continued. "See? It benefits us all if we leave. If they wanted to do something with us, I'm sure they would have done it already. And, if they do want to do something with us, by the way we've been treated this whole time, I don't think I wanna stay here and wait for them."

Vio sighed in defeat. "Alright. How're we gonna get outta here?"

Blue grinned. Now they were getting to the good part. "Easy. Smash the window," Blue said easily, as if they were only talking about the weather and not devising a plan to escape.

Red stared at him. Could it be that easy? "Well, I mean, wouldn't they have thought of that? Like, us breaking the window to get out?"

Blue sighed. "Of course! Haven't you been looking outside? Lately there's been guards stationed all outside of the building." Blue pointed from the window down to two guards who were on watch close by their window. "Nothing will happen if we break the window. But they'll have outside forces waiting for us."

"So how do we get past them?"

"The rain will cover any sounds we make," Vio chimed in. "It will also cover up any footprints or such we may leave in the ground. Also, the guards won't find us as easily in the fog the rain's created."

Blue did a fist-pump. "Exactly! We can sneak around and outta here, to that forest bordering the building. We can hide in there, then figure out what to do next. But… we leave when you think you're ready, 'cause we're never gonna come back here again."

Blue let that sink in. There was a lengthy silence for a long while, then Vio spoke up. "Sure. Let's do this."

Red started to say, "I don't really -"

Blue swung one of the heavy books they had been given at the window, and it shattered outwards with the impact. Outside, the fragments fell to the ground, their sound muffled by the pounding rain.

Red stared. "Uh, okay. Never mind."

Blue grinned as he hoisted himself out of the window onto the ledge outside, balancing precariously on the narrow length of stone. The others joined him, and one by one they all dropped down to the ground below, careful not to land on the glittering sharp shards on the ground. Vio looked to his right. Not far away, there were three guards on patrol. He quickly memorized where they walked on guard, and then he motioned the others to follow him. They were halfway to the forest when they suddenly heard a shout from behind. Red, who had been watching the guards, froze in place as one of them looked straight at them.

Minutes passed, and then the guard looked away. The four let out a silent but heavy sigh of relief, then continued on.

When they had finally reached the safe cover of the forest, the Links were able to relax, letting the tension go out of them.

"That was so… nerve-wracking!" Red exclaimed as he shook his hands to get rid of the feeling.

"I can't believe we did it," Green muttered, mainly to himself. "Honestly, a plan of Blue's isn't a plan to mess around with."

"No, but seriously. We did it!" Blue was practically hopping up and down. "We're finally out of that place!" Red and Green gave a cheer, and even Vio cracked a smile. Then they suddenly fell silent as they realized what they had to do now: create their own life for themselves. Each one of them knew it wouldn't be easy, but they were all determined.

"Okay, first things first: We gotta build a shelter," Blue said.

Green huffed. "Really, who made you captain?"

"I did! Now, we might want to wait this rain out before attempting to make a house. So…" Blue looked around. "Oh, perfect. Maybe we can wait it out in that cave?" He pointed to a small rocky outcropping hidden in the underbrush.

"What if there are bears?" Red asked uncertainly, shuddering at the thought of meeting a full-grown bear.

"Fine. I'll go if you don't want to." With that, Blue strode off towards the cave. Red glanced worriedly at the others, who shrugged.

"W-Wait up!" Red cried, and scrambled after Blue. Green and Vio shook their heads and followed.

As it turned out, there were no bears. As the rain crashed onto the ground outside, the four Links gratefully curled up on the dry cave floor to wait out the storm. Without knowing it, Red closed his eyes and drifted off. Green smiled at the peaceful boy and leaned with his back on the wall. He knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep just yet, with all of the excitement that had happened.

"Hey, Green, come look at this," Vio's voice issued behind him. Green turned and scooted over to where Vio was kneeling in front of a large pile of leaves.

"What?" Green asked. Vio swept away the leaves. Underneath was an old treasure chest caked with dirt and dust, but still intact.

Blue, having noticed it, appeared at their side. "Whoa! Open it!"

Vio rolled his eyes but smiled. He dug his fingers under the lid and tugged, causing the lid of the chest to open with a rusty creak. Green and Blue crowded closer around him to get a better look at the contents. Inside, there was an elaborate bow with a complete set of arrows in a sheath, a boomerang, a hammer, a slingshot with a small pouch of stones, and a compass. Green took the boomerang, inspecting it. It had a small red ruby inlaid at the center of the boomerang, and it was sharp around the edges. Perfect. Green turned to the others, grinning. "Dibs!"

Blue groaned. "How did I not think of that?!" He snatched the hammer up. "Take whatever you want, but I'm keeping this."

Vio shook his head in exasperation at the others. "I'll just wait until Red wakes up so he can have his pick," he murmured. He picked up the compass instead. "What's this?" The clasp binding the upper and lower halves of the compass was a dull rusty color, but at Vio's touch, it began to glow. Vio cast an uneasy glance at the others, already having second thoughts about the compass. But before he could change his mind, Vio pried the compass open.

As soon as he saw the folded piece of paper hidden inside of the compass, Blue grabbed it and opened it up. There were faint but still illegible words scrawled onto the weathered and yellowed square of paper.

"What's it say?" Green asked in a hushed tone.

_"Ye who finds this compass of guide,_

_follow its path to destiny."_

As soon as Blue finished reading the paper, the red line on the compass suddenly glowed a bright red and spun until it pointed directly north. Blue stared at the line for a second, then slowly raised his head to look at the other's expressions, who looked as baffled as he was.

Green suddenly got to his feet. "Wake up Red," he tossed over his shoulder as he walked to the cave's mouth.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm issuing orders for now. And I'm saying I wanna figure out where the compass leads to."

* * *

Red wondered for the billionth time if the others were crazy. They were trodding along in the forest, guided by the compass. Red clutched his slingshot tightly as he tried not to think about what beasts in the forest could easily rip their heads off. Red had chosen the slingshot because holding a bow had seemed…

_Fancy_…

Where was the perfect word for certain situations when you couldn't find it?

Vio, in the lead, suddenly came to a halt. Red looked to the front to see that they had stopped in front of the banks of a hot spring. The hot water poured out in a small waterfall from a hole in a rock wall that rose up over the spring. And there, in the middle of the spring, was a pedestal, rising up from the water. Stuck into the pedestal was a sword, gleaming as the afternoon sunlight fell in a large shaft of light directly onto it.

The four crowded on the edge of the water, not touching it, as if the water was poisonous, glancing uneasily at each other. Something felt… off about the whole thing, as if it wasn't real. Green shook his head and took a hesitant step into the water, then another, then another. Soon he was sloshing through the water, with the others trailing closely behind. As Red neared the stone pedestal, the water was up to his waist. The four gathered in a semicircle around the sword, unsure of what to do next. Suddenly, as if he had thought the words, a voice emitted inside of Red's head:

_Draw the sword… Ye chosen ones…_

Startled, Red jumped and looked around. By the look on the others' faces, Red could tell that they too had heard the voice.

_Draw the sword…_

Green looked around at the others.

Vio's eyes seemed to be asking,_ You want to do it?_

_Should we trust… whatever that was?_

_Your call._

Green took a deep breath to steady himself, exhaling out slowly. He wrapped his left hand around the rusty hilt of the sword. A stinging sensation suddenly burned on the back of his hand, causing Green to twist to look at it. An image of three faint triangles in a pyramid was etched into his skin. The bottom-right triangle was glowing brightly, standing out against the other two triangles. As the others gasped, Green could see that the same image was glowing faintly on their left hands as well.

All of a sudden, Green knew this was the right thing to do. Before the logical part of his mind convinced him not to do it, he yanked on the sword.

The sword slid out of the pedestal.

* * *

Everything was pure white, as if the world itself was the color of snow. Vio looked around, confused. Where was he?

Green had pulled the sword, and…

_Are you confused?_

Vio flinched.

_Do not be afraid. I am not your enemy._

"Who..?"

_You four are the chosen ones. The heroes of Hyrule, of the triforce._

Vio recognized that. The triforce. Dimly he could remember reading it somewhere, most likely in one of the books at the nursery. But why would a concept like that be in the books they had given them?

_Ah. So you do know about the triforce. Power, Courage, and Wisdom, brought to us from the three goddesses of the triforce: Din, Nayru, and Farore._

Vio didn't know what to say. Who was this person?

_Do you remember your mother?_

_She was the wife of a Hylian knight. One day, your mother's home village was overrun by monsters and she was forced to flee._

Vio blanched. This person knew his _mother_?

_She gave birth to you four, the heroes of the goddesses of the triforce. But… alas, she died right after giving birth._

Vio stared at the floor - or, what he thought was the floor, as everything was the same color. So that's why they had never seen their mother before...

_Link… Has the legend of the Minish Cap reached your ears, yet?_

"The Minish Cap?"

The voice began to tell the story of the legend of old.

_Ages ago…_

_A boy named Link, your ancestor, set off on an adventure to save Hyrule from danger from a sorcerer, the terrible Vaati, who had been a simple Picori before. He defeated the evil fiend, with the help of another Picori named Ezlo and…The Picori Sword._

_Later, after being infused with the four elements, therefore giving the sword the power to defeat Vaati, the sword became the Four Sword._

_Look at your hand. What do you see?_

Vio glanced down. There, in his left hand, was the sword Green had pulled out. On the back of his left hand, the image of the triangle had lost its glow but was still there.

_When the hero who was clad in green drew the sword, it split into four. Now, each of you carry one. The four swords are only strengthened when united._

_The mark on your hand is that of the triforce of courage. Its power is inside of you, and is proof that you four are the heroes of destiny._

_But the goddesses of the triforce have also granted you a special power. The four elements were infused into the sword you hold. Now, these powers of the elements are given to you._

_The red-clad boy has control over fire._

_The green hero has control over the winds._

_The blue hero has control over water._

_And you… have the power of commanding the earth._

_But you also have a hard tie to fate. Later, you shall know. Right now, you are too young at the age of eight. You should be able to enjoy your life now._

_If you ever feel weary, come to this spring, and it will ease your pains. We shall meet again._

So many questions, and Vio wanted - no, _had_ to - ask them all. "Wait!" he cried, but the voice's presence in his head and the whiteness were suddenly all gone, as if it had just been a dream.

* * *

Green gasped and opened his eyes, sucking in a deep breath. He was lying on his back, staring up at a wooden ceiling. As the feeling came back into his body, he could feel that he was lying on something soft.

_A bed…?_

Green bolted to a sitting position, looking around him. He was, in fact, lying on a white bed, with the others passed out next to him. They were in some kind of house. Green wondered for a split second if the whole thing had been a dream, but then he looked down to where the sword was resting in his left hand, with the mark of the triforce still etched onto his hand. He had a vague feeling it was permanent.

To his left, Vio muttered something unintelligible.

"Vio?" Green crawled over to him and shook him gently.

Vio groaned. He heaved himself up to look at Green, rubbing his eyes. "Where are we…?"

Green shrugged helplessly. Spotting a window to his right, he quickly flung the covers over him aside and ran to the window. Peering outside, he could see the forest they had been in before. In a clearing not far away from the house, the spring in which they had found the Four Sword was there. "I think… The person who was talking to us… granted us this house," Green said slowly, looking back at Vio.

Vio joined him at the window, shivering slightly. "Really?... But, why? Who was that… person?"

Green could only shake his head. "He said we'd meet again… later. Then we may be able to find out."

"Green? Vio?" They turned to see Red and Blue sitting up in the bed, Red with feathers stuck in his hair. "Wha… What happened?"

So many unanswered questions, but the Links would have to wait until the time was right - the time when that same voice was to talk to them again. But, in the meantime, they would finally have a chance to live their own life, at least for now.

Meanwhile… A dark shadow looms outside of the Links' house in the shade of the trees that grow nearby. The shadow is dark matter at first, but then quickly transforms into another being that resembles the Links, but with blue, piercing eyes as cold as ice instead of the Links' light, misty sky irises, and a dark complexion.

A voice echoes through the shadow's mind:_ You should feel quite privileged to have the honor of being the one to destroy the heroes of the triforce. You don't have the slightest notion of how many of my minions would kill - and I mean that quite literally - to be in your position._

"I am quite honored, your majesty, Vaati," The shadow murmurs.

_You must be patient in order to defeat them. I am not at my strongest peak yet. But when I rise, those pesky ants won't be able to defeat me - they'll simply get in my way - that's when you come in…_

_Shadow Link._

The shadow grins, revealing a set of pointed teeth. "I understand, Lord Vaati."

_Good. Bid your time wisely. _And then the voice dissipates.

"I sure will," The shadow mutters, sarcastic. And then, he adds, "And as for you, Links… you're not the only ones."


	2. A Moment of Peace

**Dargon: BACK! BACK AGAIN! Here's the next chappie! Hope you enjoy! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! :D Please, comment on our style of writing and plot and do suggestions for the storyline! It helps a lot! THANKS!**

**Nike: Again, I only edited. 'cause Dargon insisted. :P**

* * *

Vio was cleaning the dishes from the morning's breakfast when Red ran in, face flushed and sweaty. "It's SNOWING!" he yelled, hopping up and down in uncontrollable excitement.

"Wait, what?" Vio rushed to the window to take a look for himself. Sure enough, tiny white flakes were drifting from the sky and to the ground, piling up on the ground. "How?"

"What, you've never seen it snow before?" Blue asked, walking in through the door and shaking bits of snow out of his hair.

"No - I mean - it's the middle of July!" Vio said.

Red's eyes went wide. "Wha- WHAT?" he choked.

Blue started laughing. "This is great! It's frickin' snowing in July!"

Red glanced at the window again. "Um, the snow just stopped."

Vio sighed. "I have a feeling Green's -"

"Hey, guys," Green said, walking in through the door with a grin plastered onto his face.

"What did you do now," was Blue's only reply.

"He can control wind," Vio said, turning to Green. "I bet you did that to mess around with us, didn't you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Aw, Vio, you're too smart for all of us," Green teased. Vio rolled his eyes.

"How'd you get it to snow if you can control wind?" Red asked. "Unless you can control the weather too?"

"Nah, I summoned a wind to blow some snow in here from the mountains."

Red shook his head in amazement. "Awesome!"

"You have no idea how many loopholes you get with controlling an element. See, like when you think of water, you think of lakes, rivers, that stuff?" Blue said. Red nodded.

"Well, I don't have to control just water. I can control lakes and rivers, even though if they're not water, like rivers of lava, etc., etc., etc."

"Get outta here," Green joked.

"No, seriously. I tried it."

"On what?"

"Death Mountain." The mountain was a volcano that erupted lava and choking black ash clouds constantly and was a dangerous place to live around or even be on.

"You _went_ there?" Red asked, his eyes wide.

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore," Blue shook his head. "It hurts my head to use logic." He sneaked a glance at Vio, who rolled his eyes in exasperation. Red and Green laughed.

A sudden knock at the door caused the four to fall silent.

Red's eyes widened even more to the size of moons. He glanced to the door and back to his brothers. "Who…?" He whispered. "I thought no one knew where we were…"

Green started panicking. "What if it's the people from the nursery?!" It had only been a few months after the four Links had broken out of the nursery and escaped, and there was no doubt they had been looking for the four of them ever since. And there was no way the Links would ever want to go back there ever again.

"Aw, jeez…" Blue shook his head. "If it's them, I'll smash their heads in, don't worry." He said this, putting on a brave face, but the waver in his tone betrayed his true feelings of how worried he really was.

"Uh… Who wants to open the door?"

"NOT ME."

"Don't look at me, I'm not gonna either!"

"Hey, uh, Red…"

"I don't wanna do it!"

Vio sighed. This argument was giving him a headache. While the others were arguing, Vio walked over to the door and yanked it open. The others fell silent as the door creaked open, revealing…

A princess.

She had golden, curly long hair that fell in waves down her back, with a headdress of opals that glinted as she moved. She wore a simple white dress with long sleeves that laced at the ends, and white gloves that extended up to her elbow covered her hands. On the girl's neck was a necklace, with a flat pendant in the middle. The pendant had the mark of the triforce on it.

All of the Links stared at her, until Vio hastily remembered his place and dipped in an elaborate bow, the other Links fumbling to copy him.

The princess smiled as they failed miserably. "Hello. I'm assuming you four are… Link?"

"Wha - uh - yeah - like - er -" Blue stammered, but Vio cut him off.

"Yes. And, forgive me if I am mistaken, but I take it that you are… Princess Zelda?"

The princess nodded, smiling more widely. Then her eyes fell upon the sheathed swords each Link carried on their back. "Is… that the Four Sword?" she asked tentatively.

The Links glanced at each other. "Um… Yeah," Green finally spoke, uncomfortable by the growing silence.

"So… You are the heroes of the Triforce?" Princess Zelda shook her head, as if she couldn't believe it. "Forgive me," she apologized. "I just can't believe it… I was told the heroes of the Golden Triangles resided here. I had a vision that one day, those heroes may rise, bringing either an era of peace or chaos into the world, and on that same day, an evil shadow would consume Hyrule. The person who told me this in the vision, revealed to me that she was the goddess of the Four Sword."

Vio's eyes went wide. "So that's who the person who was talking to us was…" he murmured to himself.

"Do you have the triforce of Courage?" Princess Zelda asked. The Links held up their left hands at the same time in response. The princess looked at them for a moment, then raised her own hand. There, glowing through her glove, was the same mark as the Links', but with the bottom-left triangle shining the brightest. "This is the triforce of Wisdom," she explained to the Links, who had identical baffled expressions.

"Who has the last one…?" Red asked hesitantly. For some reason, he knew he was going to be afraid of the answer.

Princess Zelda paused. For a long time it seemed as if she wouldn't respond, but at last, she murmured, "Ganondorf."

The name alone sent a chill through the Links, even though they had no idea who he was.

"Ganondorf, the Prince of Darkness. He was an evil man, seeking to destroy the kingdom of Hyrule and claim the triforce for his own. The triforce, when whole, grants any wish of a person. In the wrong hands, it can be destructive. Instead, when Ganondorf tried to take the Triforce, his unclean soul shattered the Triforce into three parts: Power,Wisdom, and Courage. Only the triforce of power was left with Ganondorf, and he used it to plunge Hyrule into darkness. But his full wish wasn't complete. He sought to seek out the ones with the other triforces. But ages ago, Ganondorf was defeated by Link…

"...your ancestor. The goddess of the Sword warned me of evil times to come. But she also said we would have a savior in those times of need." Princess Zelda curtsied in front of the Links. "You, the four heroes of the triforce."

"Aw… We didn't really do much…" Blue was blushing, despite himself. Green elbowed him in the ribs.

Princess Zelda looked at all of them. "I implore of you… Please, protect Hyrule when the time draws near. Choose the right decision for all of us. I believe you will."

The Links hurriedly bowed again. "T-Thank you, Princess Zelda!"

"No, please!" The princess blushed. "Call me Zelda."

"B-But…" Green was taken aback, but the princess insisted. "Uh… okay, then."

Zelda smiled. "Please, though, don't worry about it too much. What will happen in the future will happen later, not now."

The Links thanked her again for her kind words, and the princess told them they could come visit her anytime in the castle. "Just head northwest of here," Zelda explained. With a last curtsy from her and a bow from the Links, she disappeared.

"Wow, she's really nice! And pretty!" Red exclaimed.

Blue rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Red, she's a princess. What else would you expect?"

"So, then, Blue, if that's true," Vio grinned, "What was that blushing that happened with you, then?"

Blue blushed again and shoved Vio gently but playfully.

* * *

The years passed, and the Links trained, mastering their skills with controlling their elements and fighting in combat with the Four Sword and their weapons. Sure, occasionally Red would accidentally light the house on fire, and Blue would cause a tsunami if his temper got too high, but they learned to work with their powers. The Links would also come by and by to visit Zelda, and soon they and the princess were best friends. It was a peaceful two years.

But, alas, that short era of peace ended abruptly one night.

* * *

**Dargon: DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!**

**Nike: Okay, now I'm kinda scared. What's gonna happen next?!**

**Dargon: Who knows… maybe the people who read the next chappie will know! :D**

**Please review on writing and storyline, and insert suggestions too! Thanks for everyone who stuck with our story so far!**


	3. Captured and Broken

**Dargon: Here's to Chapter Three of the FF! Hope you guys enjoy, and please comment with suggestions and on storyline and style of writing with reviews! Also, favs, follows, cookies, pie, and ice cream are greatly appreciated!**

**Nike: Here's a virtual cookie to get you started! (::)**

* * *

Two years had passed, and the four heroes of the triforce were now ten years old.

Blue hacked at the straw dummy, performing sideways slashes and ferocious uppercuts until the dummy was reduced to a pile of limp straw. He turned to look at Green, who was worriedly peering out the window.

Blue sighed. "They'll be back, Green." Vio and Red had gone out to gather some firewood and a few berries. They had only left a few hours ago, but Green was already worried that something might had happened to them.

"I'm not so sure anymore…" Green shuddered. "What if some monster…" He couldn't finish the thought, and instead relapsed into silence.

"Vio and Red can take care of themselves," Blue insisted. "Trust me, I'll be saying 'I told you so' when they come back later. They probably couldn't find any wood and had to travel out further to find some."

"I guess…" Green didn't look convinced.

By the time night was approaching and there was still no sign of their brothers, even Blue had to admit that he was also getting scared for the red and violet-clad Links. Now both Blue and Green were looking out of the window, trying to get a glimpse of Vio or Red in the sea of trees below.

"I told you so," Green muttered.

"Shaddup!"

* * *

Vio and Red were deep into the forest, off of the usual paths they took.

"Vio, are you sure we're not lost?" Red asked warily.

"Positive," Vio answered. "We still haven't found any firewood yet, though…"  
The two Links continued walking in silence, clearing a path through the undergrowth and trees, until they reached a large clearing. Vio, ahead of Red, suddenly halted in his tracks, causing Red to stop too.

"What -"

"Shhh!" Vio whispered, holding a finger to his lips to silence Red. "Look. Do you see it?" He pointed to the other side of the clearing. Red peered closer, and almost gasped in surprise out loud.

At first, it had seemed like the moon itself was on the ground as a living, breathing creature. But it wasn't the moon. It was actually a pure-white horse that radiated moonlight, a soft aura emitting around it. The creature was completely the color of fresh snow, save for its legs and muzzle, which looked as if they were dipped in gold. The horse had two feathery wings that were tucked in against the horse's flanks, a touch sky blue shade just darker than white.

Even though Vio and Red were on the opposite side of the clearing, the horse had spotted them and was now looking at them with intelligent, chocolate-brown eyes. It slowly trotted over to them. The norse whinnied softly, bending her head down to be at eye level with Vio and Red.

_Heroes of the triforce…_

Red looked around, confused, before he realized it was coming from the creature. The horse moved closer to the two. Hesitantly, Red raised a shaky hand to the horse's muzzle. When the horse didn't shy away, Red gathered his courage and stroked the creature's muzzle, which felt as soft as down feathers.

_A fell, dark cloud is descending over Hyrule. Vaati is back. But he is not the same. And an even more foul enemy is lurking in the shadows, the puppet master of Vaati._

_Ganon…_

_The Prince of Darkness, the wielder of the triforce of power._

_Heroes of destiny… it is your fate to protect Hyrule in these times of crisis._

_But whether you decide to save it or let it fall into chaos…_

_The future of Hyrule rests on your shoulders._

_Protect the weak and rally the strong._

_O, chosen heroes of courage..._

_Let your light and decisions shine through as hope to the people._

Vio jerked back, surprised. Why did the way the horse talk sound so… familiar?

"Are you… The goddess of the Four Sword?" he asked.

The horse's eyes seemed to smile as the goddess gazed down upon the two of them with tender eyes.

Suddenly, the horse's ears perked up and it reared on its hind legs. A black, pulsating shadow loomed behind the creature as the horse whinnied, trying to get away. Like a tidal wave, the black substance crashed over the horse, swallowing it whole and covering it in dark matter. The substance then shattered into tiny pieces, with the sound of glass breaking, rising high into the sky until it disappeared. Red gave a yell as he and Vio looked around wildly, the horse nowhere to be seen. The shadow had taken the creature with it.

A cold wind suddenly swept around Vio and Red, scattering a few leaves. Vio and Red stood back to back, their swords out.

"Keep your guard up," Vio warned. "I think there's something in these woods that's not supposed to be here." Red swiveled his head around, trying to search for any signs of disturbance. Somehow, it had turned nighttime, and the growing shadows crept up on Red.

A loud thump sounded behind him. Red spun around, but before he could see what had caused the noise, something tiny and sharp pricked the back of his neck. Before he could process what was happening, Red collapsed, the darkness swallowing his consciousness whole.

* * *

The voice appeared. It was during the middle of the night, while Green and Blue were sleeping fitfully, worried for Red and Vio.

_Please…Anybody…Help…_

Blue opened one eye. What was that? Had he been imagining it?

When the voice didn't sound again, Blue closed his eyes. He was about to drift back to sleep when a sudden thunderclap rocked the black twilit sky outside as a steady rain pounded on the window, causing Blue to flinch.

_Link…_

Blue's eyes shot open. There it was. The voice again. Where was it coming from?

_Hello…? _Blue tried transmitting to whoever was calling.

_Blue? Blue!_

_Who…?_

_Z-Zelda. _

_Zelda? How -_

_T-There's no time, Blue… Please, help! Get the others and come to the castle…_

_Wait, what's wrong?_

A sudden scream ripped through Blue's consciousness as Zelda shrieked, a long, drawn-out cry that pounded in Blue's head, a sound he would never forget.

_Zelda?! ZELDA! _Blue cried out in his head.

There was no answer.

Next to him, Green bolted up to a sitting position in the bed, covers flung aside and hair disheveled.

Green looked around wildly until he found Blue. "D-Did you hear that scream?"

"It was from Zelda!" Blue shouted.

Green's eyes widened. "Do you think she's in trouble?" he asked.

Blue flung the covers over him aside, crossing to the other side of the room to the door. "C'mon!" he yelled. "She might be!" Green hurriedly followed after him.

Downstairs, Blue paused to grab the Four Swords and their shields, which they hung on pegs on the wall, and tossed Green's sword and shield to him. He then shoved the door open, revealing the cold, dark outside.

Green and Blue dashed to the castle as fast as they could, with heavy rain pouring down on their heads and thunder occasionally crashing in their ears, splashing through the mud. Finally, the two reached Hyrule Castle, only to witness a scene of destruction.

It looked as if a giant had went on a raging stampede and smashed the castle. Areas of the castle walls were smashed in, gaping holes and cracks riddling the stone surfaces. Chunks of stone and fallen bodies of monsters and people littered the ground around the castle. As the two Links neared the two front double doors, their eyes wide open in surprise at the scene of massacre, they saw that the doors had been ripped clean off of their hinges.

Blue cursed under his breath. "For crying out loud…" He looked at Green. "What… happened here?!"

Green could only shake his head helplessly. As he and Blue walked into the castle, Green stepped in a puddle that soaked his shoe. He looked down to see that he was standing in a pool of a castle guard's blood, who was lying face down on the ground with angry red gashes slashed all over his body. Green yelped and leaped back, immediately feeling sick to his stomach. Blue took a deep breath and continued on, Green trailing hesitantly behind him.

They reached a large, cold empty chamber with large stone pillars flanking the sides of the room, some of them having been smashed to pieces or ripped out of their foundations. Blue and Green edged cautiously into the room, wary of anything that might jump out at them.

"Where's Zelda?" Blue asked.

Green shrugged. "Zelda?" He called, softly at first, then louder. "ZELDA!" Even though his shout echoed through the empty castle, no response was heard.

"Looking for a certain princess?" A voice as cold as ice taunted behind them. Blue and Green whirled around, drawing their swords…

…To see… _them_.

But it wasn't them. The creature standing behind them looked exactly like the Links, but had a completely dark coloring around him, as if he was made of shadows himself, and his slitted pupils glinted cruelly in his ice-blue colored eyes.

"W-What are _you_?! " Blue demanded.

The being scoffed. "What am I, you ask? How rude. I am not a _what_, but a who."

"Answer the question," Blue snapped.

"Well, then. I am you. But not you." The shadow laughed, the sound an insane person might make. Green shuddered.

"What're you talking about?" Green asked.

"Can't you see? I'm Link." He paused, grinning in satisfaction at the others' shocked expressions. "But a Link made of shadows. I'm your shadow opposite in the dark world, a Shadow Link."

"W-What?!"

"Believe it. And, if I'm not mistaken, these are your… hmmm, duplicates?" The shadow snapped his fingers, and an image of Vio and Red chained to a wall, unconscious, filled the air beside it.

"Vio! Red!" Green yelled.

"What've you done to them?!" Blue roared at the shadow. "I'm serious, if you lay your twisted, gnarled hands on -"

"Now, now," The shadow interrupted, cutting Blue sharply off. "Quite the feisty one, aren't you?" he said to Blue, who growled.

"But… why are you here?" Green asked.

"My, my. The heroes of the triforce are quite simple-minded, aren't they?" Shadow Link murmured. "Vaati has risen again. He may had been defeated in the past, but he rises again. But this time, we have the Goddess of the Four Sword captured… and her royal majesty, Princess Zelda." Shadow grinned wickedly. "Your sorry excuses for swords, the ones you hold -" - He gestured to Blue's and Green's swords - " - are now completely useless. Without the goddess's power to infuse it with the power to drive off evil, you can't stop Vaati, or even _me_, for demon's sake!"

Green stared at his sword. Blue snorted. "As if we'd believe you."

"Oh, but you do. With the princess in our hands, she will serve as a fine sacrifice for when darkness overpowers the whole world. And for your little friends and the goddess…" Shadow shrugged. "Well, no need for them. We may as well kill them."

Blue snarled angrily and lunged forward, slashing his sword at the shadow. "Give Vio and Red back!"

"And why would I?" Shadow said, grinning at the shocked face of Blue as his sword passed straight through the shadow's body. "There would be no use in that. I'm afraid you can only observe as darkness takes over your world. Then, maybe later, I might allow you to do my bidding as servants." With a final insane laugh, the shadow melted into the ground and was gone.

Blue stared at the spot in which the Shadow Link had disappeared, his hands curled into fists. Green slumped to the ground, his spirits drained by the shadow's words.

"Get up. What're you doing?" Blue snapped at Green.

"I… I… Red and Vio…" Green murmured helplessly. "B-Blue… they're gone."

Blue growled. "No, they're not. He just wants you to think that. He's a _shadow_, for cryin' out loud! A deceptive liar. C'mon, we're going to find out where they're being held, and break them out." Blue extended a hand to Green.

Green blinked, his hopelessness fading away. "I… wow." He looked at Blue. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" Blue asked impatiently.

"You never lose hope. You're almost like Red, as in being optimistic, but in an aggressive way. It's almost… calming." Green grinned weakly as Blue snorted.

"Well, I do have the Water Element as my power," Blue said. "The Water Element supposedly has 'healing powers, soothing and calming.'" He shrugged. "But anyways, I'm not kidding. We're going to find them, whether you like it or not." Green gratefully took Blue's hand, and he helped him to his feet. All hope was not lost yet.

_Children, please…_

"T-The Goddess of the triforce?"

_The shadow is right. As long as I am captured, the Four Sword's power to repel evil can not be used. But it is the only way to defeat Vaati and your shadow. _

"So, what should we do?" Green asked.

_You must free your captured brothers first. The Four Sword cannot be replenished without all of the swords together. When united, the swords are at their strongest._

_The red and violet-clad heroes have been taken to a dark dungeon_

_in the Gerudo Desert sands. Please… take this… to guide you._

A faint, glowing sphere of light suddenly appeared out of thin air, shining brightly against the darkness in the chamber. The pulsing light turned into the shape of a serpent, and then the light faded to reveal a small dragon so tiny, it fit perfectly into the palm of Green's hand.

_He will help you, and be my messenger. I cannot speak directly to you as you travel, as my strength is fading. Please, heroes…_

_Protect Hyrule._

And then the goddess was gone.

The miniature dragon yawned and stretched in Green's hand. He looked up at the blue and green Links. "Hi! I'm Komato… Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Green, and this is Blue," Green introduced themselves.

"You must find your brothers first, hidden in the Gerudo Desert. We can teleport there, if you'd like," Komato offered.

Blue and Green glanced at each other. "Uh…_ teleporting_?" Green asked.

"Sure!" The dragon grinned. "Watch this!" Before the Links could protest, a sudden light emitted from Komato, wrapping around the Links and encasing them all in pure white. Then the light blinked out of existence, carrying the Links and their new dragon friend to their next destination:

The sand kingdom of the Gerudo Desert.

* * *

Vio forced his eyes open, the darkness pressing down on his eyelids forcibly. At first, the world spun dizzily around him, causing a severe headache to form. Vio tried to remember what had happened. It must've been a sedative that had been injected into him…

A sudden sharp pain erupted in his side and Vio groaned, slumping to the ground. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that he was lying on a cold, hard, stone floor. Something sharp dug into his wrists as he tried to move. Vio looked down to see two sets of iron manacles binding his wrists and ankles tightly together, the metal cutting into his skin and causing it to bleed. The manacles were connected to the wall by a thick chain for each manacle. Another arc of pain slashed through him, even sharper than the last one.

"You are quite persistent, aren't you?" A voice hissed. Something kicked him in the side again, but Vio kept his mouth shut, not giving the person the satisfaction of hearing him groan.

"SPEAK." The voice growled. This time, a heavier weight slammed straight into his rib cage. Vio tried to fight off the pain, but he moaned as it shot through his body.

"What… do you want?" Vio's voice was a croak as he responded.

"What do I want?... Possibly, your sword." Vio felt himself being lifted slightly as the person slid the Four Sword, with its sheath, over Vio's head and out of his grasp and possession.

"N-No!" He tried to cry out. He couldn't lose the sword. Not like this. But the speaker suddenly slammed a heavy, well-placed kick straight into Vio's ribs, where he could hear them break with a sharp _crack_. Even moving a centimeter shot waves of pain through his body.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll use this well-crafted Four Sword - and your red-clad friend's sword as well - to fully revive Vaati. But I'm not done with you yet." Without warning, the speaker shoved a knife straight through Vio's back, the blade slicing its way through his flesh as it went deeper and deeper. Vio cried out in agony as the pain doubled, a warm, sticky substance pooling rapidly beneath him...

A sweet, sickly-smelling damp cloth was shoved over his nose and mouth. He tried to struggle, but he knew he had lost the fight against the sedative as his consciousness dimmed and then left him.

* * *

**Dargon: DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN! (Again.) **

**What will happen to Vio and Red? Will the other Links come in time to save them, or will time run out for them? Find out in the next chapter, coming soon!**


	4. A Determination to Live

**Nike: Hello, world! I like pie! Um. So. Editing…**

**Dargon: LOL! Twilight is also helping with editing and storyline too, but she hasn't made it to the Author's Ins yet. :( Let's hope a time may come when that happens!**

**AS ALWAYS, PLEASE R&R WITH STORYLINE SUGGESTIONS, PLOT, AND WRITING!**

* * *

When the sunspots had finally faded, Blue chanced it to open his eyes. They were standing in a white, vast ocean made entirely of sand, the sand dunes sloping and stretching in all directions as far as the eye could see. A slight wind swept among him, stirring up the fine grains of sand and causing it to blow some of the particles into his face. Blue coughed.

In front of him was a massive structure, an entrance made of old, weathered stone bricks.

"Is that the entrance to the dungeon?" Green asked.

"Yeah," was the little dragon's muffled reply. He was hiding in Green's hand as the wind blew sand around him.

"But… just standing here? Where anyone can see it?" Blue shook his head. "Terrible security."

"No, humans can't see it. You can only see it now cause I'm revealing it to you through my sight."

"Wow," Green murmured, stroking Komato's head and causing the dragon to grin happily, "You have a lot of special powers."

"Let's just go in." Blue rolled his eyes, impatient for them to get going already.

A moaning, haunting wail sounded from inside the depths of the entrance. Green shuddered and looked at Blue for reassurance. They nodded once to each other, and side by side, they walked together into the fortress to rescue Vio and Red.

* * *

Green flinched as screams filled the air. Terrifying, tortured screams that might've made him go insane if Blue wasn't there with him.

"Blue, you don't think they've… them?" Green couldn't bring himself to say _killed_, or even _tortured_.

Blue only could shake his head.

They traveled through the dimly-lit corridors lighted by the occasional lonely torch until they started to hear a distant whimpering, getting louder as they walked. It sounded strange, like the voice was oddly familiar…

The two Links glanced at each other. Then they crept to the corner of the next turn of the long, twisting corridor and peered around the corner.

"_Red_…?"

The unmistakable figure of Red had his back turned to Green and Blue, kneeling over a figure in a heavily barred room on the opposite side of the corridor. Green and Blue ran to the bars. Red turned at the sound of their approaching footsteps, and his face immediately lit up when he saw the Links rushing towards him. "Green! Blue!" he cried, dashing to the bars on the opposite side. Red raised a shaky hand through a gap in between of the rusty, thick iron bars, reaching out to his brothers. "G-Guys…"

"It's okay, Red! We're gonna get you outta here," Green promised, grasping Red's clammy hand with his own reassuringly.

"Where's Vio?" Blue asked.

Red fell silent. The blue and green Links glanced at each other worriedly. Had something happened to Vio…? "H-He's…" Red finally said, then shook his head and stepped aside. Behind him on the fall wall, Vio lay unconscious, chained to the far wall, dried blood caked on his clothes and his skin a deathly pale color.

"Vio!" Green cried, while Blue only stared.

"I w-woke up in here when I heard Vio screaming," Red sobbed. "They were torturing him… but they didn't even touch me… I think he's in some sort of coma now…"

"It's okay, Red," Green promised. "As soon as we get outta here, we'll heal him." Green looked around. "Is there some sort of key, or…"

Blue suddenly yelled out, and Green whipped around. Standing behind them was a woman, her slim, curved, figure showing through the black cloak that she wore. The woman had long, flaming red hair tied back with a jewelled clip into a long ponytail and a hooked beak-like nose which she glared down at the green and blue-clad heroes. Golden earrings pierced her ears, while a large, crusted jewel was inlaid into her forehead.

"A… A Gerudo?" Green cried.

"Pffft. My, my, you're only little children." The woman tilted her head mockingly. "So, these are the ones the great Ganondorf is worried about?"

"Who in Hyrule are you?!" Blue snapped.

The woman glanced towards the offending boy. "Nabooru. Remember it, kid. Well, too bad you won't after I'm done with you." Nabooru swiftly reached a hand into her cloak, bringing out a long, curved sword. The blade glinted maliciously in the dim light of the torches as she turned it round and round, grinning.

"Yeah, right," Blue shot at her. "As if a _Gerudo_ could stop us."

Nabooru glared at him. "Why, you -" She shook her head. "Alright… You asked for it." Without so much as a warning, she shot with incredible agility at Blue, slashing her sword in a high arc as she descended upon him rapidly. Blue was prepared, though - and the sound of Nabooru's sword clanking sharply against Blue's shield as he brought it up just before her sword reached him filled the air. Blue was about to use the distraction by swinging his sword in a side slash at the attacker, but the Gerudo quickly leaped backwards to avoid getting hit. She laughed. "Is that all you can do? I knew you were only children." She suddenly pivoted and rolled, coming up behind Green, her sword clanging against his.

As their blades met, Green felt his arms began to strain as Nabooru pushed against him, forcing all of her strength into pushing the two blades at Green. He struggled, but he knew that the woman was stronger than him, and couldn't be beaten by sheer strength. Instead, he twisted his sword, knocking the woman's out of the way and slicing his sword down onto the Gerudo's head, spot-on where the jewel was on her forehead. A sharp splinter sounded, and Nabooru shrieked in pain as the jewel split and cracked.

"Nice, Green!" Blue cheered madly.

"T-That's her weakness!" Green cried.

Nabooru quickly regained her wits, clutching the jewel on her head and shooting a glare full of pure hatred at Green. "Foolhardy boy!" she cried, and swung her arm suddenly, catching Green full in his chest and sending him crashing against the far wall. Red cried out as Green slumped to the ground, disoriented.

Blue growled angrily and flung himself at her, his sword raised to deliver a Jump Attack. As the last second, she dodged out of the way, causing Blue's sword to hit only the rock-solid ground. The impact rattled up his arms, but Blue managed to roll out of the way just as the Gerudo's sword flashed in the air in the same spot he had been standing in only moments before.

"Keep swinging, boy," The woman hissed as they parried and slashed at each other. "Sooner or later your energy will be spent." Even as Blue pushed himself harder, he knew she was right; he was already panting, his chest heaving with gasps.

"That may be, though it doesn't mean I'm not letting you defeat us that easily!" Blue yelled, and thrust his sword straight at her, catching her off guard, though she managed to evade it in time by whipping her own sword up to block the boy's attack. She wobbled back by her unstable block, her attention trained onto him as she narrowed her eyes.

"What was that? You know I would have blocked that," The Gerudo taunted.

"But I also knew you wouldn't be expecting_ this_." A blur suddenly leaped up behind her. Green somersaulted over Nabooru's head, swinging at her jewel as he went past and smashing it completely. He landed with a light thump a few ways away, as the Gerudo screamed in agony, collapsing to the floor.

"DANG!" Blue fist-bumped Green.

Green blushed. "Aw, it was nothin'."

"Next time, though, save some of the fighting for me, too!" Blue complained. "I hardly got to do anything."

Green smiled, and the two of them rushed to where Red was waiting with bated breath behind the bars.

Red cheered hoarsely. "You guys did it!"

"Red, do you know if there's a key or something?" Blue asked, searching around the room.

"I know -" Suddenly, Red's response was cut off from a small groan that emitted behind them. Green and Blue both turned to see Nabooru sitting up from where she had fallen, shaking her head as if she were trying to clear it.

"Can't you stay down?" Blue growled, about to take out his sword again, but Green raised a hand, halting him in his tracks.

"Hold on," Green murmured, and Blue grudgingly let go of the hilt of his sword. Green took a step closer to the Gerudo. "Hello…?" he asked, hesitantly.

Nabooru rubbed her temples. Then she gasped, looking up at Green. "W-Where am I?"

"Uh…" Green glanced back at Blue, who shrugged.

"Oh, I remember now." The woman angrily got up to her feet. "They brainwashed me! That Ganondorf -" As if realizing the boys were still there, she stopped in the middle of her rant and looked at Green and Blue. "What're you two doing here?"

"Uh, you were brainwashed into being a prison guard, guarding this cell," Green hastily replied. "See, these are my, uh, friends, and…"

Nabooru cut him off. "Oh, really?" She shook her head again. "I'm sorry. I wasn't myself. Here." She fumbled around in her pockets and drew out a large, brass key, slipping it into Green's outstretched hand. "I honestly don't remember how I ended up here," she muttered to herself. "Well, nice meeting ya two, but I think I'd better get going, before the Twinrova does anything else to my mind." She turned and swept away down the corridor, until she was out of sight.

Blue blinked. "Well, then." He turned to Green, who was already fitting the key in the padlock that held the door to Red and Vio's cell firmly closed. The iron door opened with a small creak, allowing Blue and Green to rush into the small, dingy room to where Vio was. Blue tugged on the chains binding Vio's manacles to the wall, but the thick, sturdy chain resisted stubbornly.

"I-I think I can…" Red cupped his shaking hands, holding them to his chest. A moment later, he brought them away, a glowing fireball dancing in his hands.

Blue slapped himself. "I keep forgetting we have these powers."

Red held the fire close to the chains connecting Vio's bindings to the wall, causing the hot fire to melt the chains.

"We've got to get him out of here quick," Blue muttered, sweeping the now-free Vio up into his arms, even though the unconscious boy was covered in blood.

"Is the woman gone?" A sudden voice piped up, and Green nearly jumped before he remembered Komato, who was tucked into the back of Green's tunic. The little dragon poked his head out, then crawled up to the top of Green's head.

"Oh, who's this?" Red cooed. "You're so cute!" Komato purred contentedly as Red petted him.

"You can get acquainted later!" Blue called, who was already striding down the corridor, carrying Vio securely in his arms. "Come on!"

Green rolled his eyes, while Komato and Red giggled. They followed the impatient Blue out of the dungeon, leaving the prison behind.

* * *

_Hazy, unintelligible images swam through Vio's head like fishes, slipping out his grasp as he tried to catch one and see what it was._

Wake up... _A faint voice called to him, somewhere in the blinding light that pressed around him._

I can't_, he thought. And it was true. The sedative had pulled him under into a drugged coma, where he could only float limply in the whiteness around him, taunted by images he wanted to see but couldn't as they swirled out of his grasp. He wanted to wake up, move around, do _something_._

_But for now, he was a prisoner in his own head._

* * *

"He won't respond," Green murmured, holding a damp cloth to Vio's forehead. "He doesn't even move an inch. If it weren't for his breathing, I'd thought he was dead."

Blue stared at Vio, his face ashen. "But he's not, right?... I mean, Red, you said he was in a coma."_ No… Not Vio_, he thought, clenching his fists. _Not smart, witty, loyal Vio..._

"I don't know…" Red's eyes, blurred with tears, looked down at his trembling hands. "He was stabbed in the back too. That's where all the blood's coming from…" He looked back up. "Is there anything we can do?"

Green was about to shake his head sadly when something resurfaced in his mind. "Wait! Do you guys remember, back two years ago, when the goddess of the Four Sword spoke to us after drawing the sword?"

Blue and Red, unsure of what Green was getting at, nodded their heads uncertainly.

"She said…" Green racked his head to remember her exact words. "If you ever feel weary, come to this spring, and it will ease your pains. Do you think… If we brought Vio there, it could…?"

Red seemed to brighten as he perked up. "Y-Yeah! Right! C'mon, we have to go! We have to try! The spring might be able to help Vio!" Red tugged excitedly on Blue's sleeve, his hopes restored.

"Blue…?" Green asked, looking at him.

Blue nodded. "Whatever it takes," he promised. "You're not leaving us that easily," he added, glaring at Vio. "C'mon, let's go. The sooner we get to the spring, the sooner we can get back to arguing."

* * *

Blue laid Vio gently down in the shallow banks of the hot spring. He then stepped back, joining the others at the bank.

"I think we need some sort of prayer…" At Red's suggestion, Green looked at him, startled.

"Yeah… I think so, too…"

Red took a deep breath and stepped forward. "O, goddess of the Four Sword…" He looked back at Green and Blue for courage, and they nodded. That was all he needed. Red smiled. He could do this, and his brothers believed in him. "...Please, will you heal our brother…?" Red's voice broke as he continued. "We don't know what's wrong with him. But please, if it's within your power…" It was the best he could come up with on the spot.

For a long time, nothing happened. The silence stretched for so long, Red began to feel his heart breaking as he wondered if there was no chance of saving Vio. Green and Blue hung their heads in sorrow.

Then…

At first, Red thought it was the tears welling up in his eyes and obscuring his vision, but when he furiously wiped them away, he realized a faint light was emitting from deep within the depths of the spring. Like tendrils of light, they moved towards Vio's limp body, enveloping him in a soft glow. The three Links stared, fascinated and not believing their own eyes, as the glow became brighter and brighter until the light was so sharp, they had to shield their eyes. As they noticed the glow faded a few seconds later, they hesitantly removed their arms from their eyes…

And nearly gasped at what they saw.

Vio, sitting up in the water, eyes bewildered and utterly confused, the glow having disappeared. The large gash the knife had made in his back was gone, the color returning to Vio's skin rapidly. Even as they watched in disbelieving, wide-eyed surprise, the iron manacles binding Vio's limbs cracked and shattered into fragments, falling into pieces around him.

"Oh." Blue started to say.

"My." Green stared.

"GOSH! VIO!" Red screamed, running at full speed to Vio and nearly knocking him over with a boa constrictor hug, sobbing.

Vio gasped for air. "S-Strangling me…"

"Oops." Blushing sheepishly, Red loosened his death grip on the violet Link, who grinned weakly.

"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Blue thundered. "YOU FRICKIN' SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF US ALL!"

"Happy that I'm alive, too," Vio mumbled.

"I-I can't believe it… The goddess…" Green knelt down in front of Vio. "You feeling okay…?"

"Yeah, I think I have a few broken ribs, but they're healing." Vio winced. "W-What happened? One second I was in _there_, with -" Vio stopped abruptly as he groaned and pressed the palms of his hands to his forehead.

"Let's get you back to the house first," Green said, unable to hide the grin that was spreading across his face. "I can't believe it," he muttered to himself again.

"Here, you need me to carry you again?" Blue teased.

Vio pretended to be horrified. "He _carried_ me?!" he choked.

Blue sniggered.

"Well, who else?" Green asked, laughing.

"I think I'm okay…" Vio tried to stand up, wobbling, and nearly fell over. "Jeez, it's like learning to walk again…"

With the other Links supporting Vio, the four Links, united once more, began the journey back to the house, cheering happily.

* * *

**Nike: And done editing! :D**

**Dargon: A happy moment may have come over the Links for now, but the future stores many more hardships to face! Will the Links survive them, or will they not be so lucky…? Please R&R on plot, writing, and storyline suggestions! Flames welcome too! Awsumsawce!**


	5. The Light Force!

**Nike: You know, I really don't have much to say except for… beware of cheesiness :D**

** Dargon: Come ON! I thought you said it wasn't cheesy! Well, true, the readers may think it is cheesy… Well, if you think the following chapter is cheesy (you'll know which part's cheesy when you get to it) then please review and tell us what you think, and what we can do to improve! THANKS~**

* * *

_Heroes… You have many more trials to face._

_To defeat the growing darkness over Hyrule…_

_You must restore light to the Four Sword._

_There are… Two great enemies…_

_Hidden, waiting, for their prey in the Realms of Snow and Sky…_

_They guard the light force, hiding it away from the Four Sword._

_You must bring them their ends…_

_Then you shall be able to defeat the darkness…_

_Though your quest isn't the only trials you will face._

_Do not give up hope, faith, or courage…_

_Remember this song, and use it for when you are in times of need._

Green closed his eyes as Kamato sang the song slowly, harmonious and soothing, though it was only six notes. Kamato repeated it twice, then looked up at the Links. "And… that is the goddess's message."

The four Links and Kamato, their new friend and the messenger of the goddess of the Four Sword, were sitting in a small circle in the grass outside of their house.

"The… the realms of Snow and Sky?" Red asked, puzzled as he tried to think of what they might mean. The Links looked at Vio simultaneously, who looked uncomfortable by the sudden spotlight.

"The Ice Cavern and the Castle in the Sky," Vio explained. He paused. "Or, I'm pretty sure that's what it means, since they're the only places I've heard of that fit the description on 'The Snow and Sky Realms'."

Green grinned. "Brilliant as always. So, apparently the monsters we have to defeat in order to restore the sword's power of defeating the darkness are located there?"

"I would suppose so…"

Red thought, trying to recall the rest of the goddess's words. "And… '_Though your quest isn't the only trials you will face._'" Red scratched his head. "Does that mean… we're going to have to go through obstacles that don't have to do with our quest?"

Green nodded. He didn't like the sound of extra challenges off aside from their journey.

Suddenly, Vio gasped, jerking upright. "Hold on!... The sword…" He looked at Red. "Did they take yours, too?"

For a second, Red didn't understand what Vio was getting at. Then he choked as it dawned on him. He reached behind him, as if the Four Sword would magically be there, but all he felt was his bare back, no longer bearing the Four Sword's scabbard. "The Four Sword…! They took it from us!"

Green blinked, confused. "What're you… who did?"

Red looked at Vio. "Vio, do you know…?"

Vio took a deep breath. "When they were… t-torturing… me, the person said they were going to use our swords… to fully revive Vaati."

There was a lengthy silence as each of the Links dwelled upon those words. Then, Blue, who hadn't spoken until up to that point, said quietly, "Well, then, we're just going to have to get them back."

"W-We're going to go back to the fortress in the Gerudo Desert?" Red asked, quivering, fear shining in his eyes.

Kamato shook his little head, his tiny ears flopping. "No, the goddess says that the swords are not there anymore. Instead, they are being kept by the monster, Arrogohus, the monster who also keeps the light hidden in the Ice Cavern. If what the person said about using the swords to revive Vaati is true, then they'd have no more use for the swords anymore after doing that."

"I-I'm sorry," Vio murmured weakly. "If I had actually done something…"

Blue lightly punched him. "Hey, it's no big deal. You couldn't have done anything. We're going to beat up that monster anyways for its light force. So what if we have to get the swords back? All the better to have an excuse to kill some monsters!" Blue grinned as Vio smiled, grateful for the other's encouraging words.

"So… Where is this Ice Cavern?" Green asked.

Vio paused. "It's… a long way away."

"How far away is 'a long way away'?"

"I mean, we would have to cross the entire width of Lake Hylia. Without proper navigation, we might as well end up lost."

Blue sighed, rubbing his temples. "How much harder can this get…? Well, we have to do it anyways, so I guess we should get going and see what we can do," he added, standing up.

"Wait, hold on." Kamato murmured something softly to himself, then nodded and said louder, "'_Remember this song, and use it for when you are in times of need._' I'm thinking this counts as one of the 'times of need'... Why don't you ask the goddess for help?"

"Uh." The Links stared at each other.

"What?" Kamato asked.

"Well… music's not my strong suit…" Blue muttered, blushing. Green nodded, looking slightly amused.

"I'll do it," Red decided. He paused, remembering the notes of the song. Then he cleared his throat, and whistled the notes twice in a row, trying to keep the exact rhythm Kamato had sang the song in.

As soon as Red had finished the song, an unnatural breeze swept around the group, rustling the blades of grass around their small circle.

"Y-You did it, Red!" Green whispered. The ring of trees marking the edge of the clearing they were in rustled. The Link's natural instincts told them to be prepared for an enemy approaching, but their minds knew it wasn't someone who wished them ill. A soft neighing filled the air, joined by three other different voices. Then, at the same time, four horses poked their heads out in between the trunks of the trees. The horse on the far right whinnied loudly, and the four horses cantered into the clearing, stopping in front of the group seated in the grass.

The Links all gasped in amazement at the same time.

"Red… do those horses remind you of somebody…?" Vio murmured.

"The Four Sword goddess! She appeared to us as a winged horse…"

Indeed, the four majestic horses in front of them looked exactly like the horse the Four Sword goddess had came as to Vio and Red, only except that these horses' wings were larger, and the horses' bodies were more smaller and stockier, built for speed. Each of the shimmering horses had an aura glowing around them, each a different color. One was a crimson color, another, an electric blue, the third, a deep forest green, and the last, a bright violet.

Red squealed and jumped up, running to the horse that emitted his color. The horse whinnied in pleasure as Red stroked the horse's side gently. The other horses snorted and trotted over to each of their own owners. Blue stared up at his horse, whose eyes were smiling with a certain boldness Blue could feel a connection to. Blue grinned. "I have a feeling we're going to get along pretty well."

"This is great!" Red exclaimed. "Now we can get to the Ice Cavern way faster than walking!"

Kamato grinned. "Are you going to go now?"

The Links looked at each other for confirmation, and Green smiled. "We shouldn't waste any time. So let's go!" The others nodded in agreement, swinging themselves up and over their horses. The horses, as one, turned and marched until they were all side by side in a spread-out line, facing the forest.

Green's horse neighed to the other horses, while Blue's pawed the ground impatiently. Vio's neighed back to Green's, who bobbed his head as if nodding. The blue horse snapped something at the scarlet one, who shrank back. The violet and green horses whinnied as if laughing, and then at the same time, the horses all burst forward unexpectedly, bounding into the forest.

Green barely managed to hold on as his horse moved expertly and as fast as a lightning shot through the forest, leaping over fallen logs and dodging tree trunks as if it'd memorized the whole grounds. Turning his head to the side, Green could see blurs of colors as the others on their steeds shot through the woods around him. The horses pounded across the earth so quickly, they had soon cleared the forest and were now heading across the green, grassy plains of Hyrule Field.

"This is great!" Green could hear Blue whooping excitedly as his horse did a couple of swerves to entertain his rider, all without missing a beat. Green flashed him a grin and then turned his head to the other side to see Vio on his horse, streaking next to him. Vio's horse came up beside Green's as they ran and playfully nudged its side, earning itself a snort from Green's and a short burst as the green-hued horse sped up to be in the lead.

Suddenly, Green heard a shout to his right and looked forward to see that they were heading straight towards the edge of a cliff.

Even though he was slightly panicking, Green had a vague feeling that the horses knew what they were doing.

The horses cleared the last bit of distance in between them and the edge of the cliff. Green could see the thin line separating the ground from the empty stretch of air come closer and closer and, at the same time, feel his horse tensing up in the back.

At the last second, the green horse took a flying leap off of the cliff at the very edge. They hovered in midair for a second, the ground miles and miles below them; and then, the lime-green wings of his horse opened up, spreading out on either sides of Green. With a mighty beat of its wings that sent a blast of air into Green's face, the horse soared up, and then they were flying over the clouds, the others swooping around him in a tight formation.

* * *

A hand on his shoulder shook Red awake. "Huh…?" he murmured, still half-asleep.

"Wake up, dummy."

Red opened his eyes reluctantly, and Blue was the first thing he saw.

"I can't believe you fell asleep!" he crowed. "That ride was amazing!"

Red blinked. "Oh… I fell asleep?" He looked around to see that Green and Vio were just getting off of their own horses, patting them on the sides in gratitude for the fast ride. Red looked up to see the looming mouth of a cave, completely made out of ice crystals with icicles hanging in the opening from the top of the cave. "Is that the Ice Cavern?"

Vio grinned. "Welcome… to the Realm of Snow."

After waving a quick goodbye to their horses, who neighed and turned to gallop off into the distance, the four Links and Komato warily entered the ice cave. When it didn't seem like anything was lurking in the depths of the cave, the five followed the twisting tunnel of the cave to wherever it would take them.

Red shivered as he looked around the frozen walls of the cave, peering at his distorted figure in the ice. His breath rose in the air as mist as the temperatures noticeably dropped, and soon the others were shivering violently. Red rubbed his hands together quickly to warm them up before conjuring up a fireball in his right hand to light the way and warm the group. Gratefully, the others moved closer the the sphere of warmth as it cast shadows on the ice walls.

"Is it supposed to be this cold?" Blue complained, mainly to act as his annoying self.

To his surprise, Vio shook his head, a look of worry coming over his features.

"What do you mean...?" Red asked, when Blue spotted a shaft of light from up ahead.

"Look!" He pointed, and ran up ahead to see for himself what was on the other side of the tunnel.

"Blue, don't go too far," Green called, but Blue was already out of sight. Sighing, Green and the others followed suit, ducking into the shaft of light to find themselves in a completely different world.

A waist-high blanket of snow covered the ground and trees, and a soft flurry was causing snow to drift down in clumped bits of white. Up ahead, the towering peaks of a mountain rose up, high above the Links as they craned their necks to see the tops of the white, snow-capped mountain. At the highest peak, stormy black clouds that crackled with electricity swirled around the tip. Occasionally, a deep-throated roar from in the midst of the storm would reach the Link's ears all the way down on the ground.

"I'm guessing we have to climb that?" Green asked, motioning to the massive structure that towered above them. When Vio gave a simple nod, Green put on a grin. "Well, we can do this! I know it!"

"Hah!" Blue snorted. "Race you to the top!" He took off without another word in the direction of the mountains, Green racing after him. Vio laughed, and he and Red followed after the eager boys.

* * *

As Green almost slipped for the tenth time, he wondered if he had suddenly become clumsy before he noticed that a fierce snowstorm was raging against them, as if trying to push them back down off of the mountain. At first, the fearsome blizzard had only been a gentle breeze, whisking a few tufts of snowflakes into their path. But as they ascended, the once calm wind had turned into a snarling beast that pushed against the Links, almost burying them alive under the weight of the snow if it hadn't been for the fires Red had conjured up.

Now, even Red's strength to keep the fires going was quickly diminishing as the snow and wind mercilessly pummeled them. Blue gritted his teeth as he fought back against the furious winds, knowing he couldn't give up now. Not yet.

The snow continued to pile up so much that a few minutes later, the Links were more swimming in the snow than trudging through it. Over the howling winds, Blue could hear a cry sound behind him, and he turned to see Red, clutching at his right hand as the fire in it finally spluttered and flickered out.

No more fire meant no more protection against the cold and snow.

Blue cringed. He had to do _something_, but what? He and the others around him were quickly succumbing to the snow as it roared in triumph. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, though it was desperate. If temperatures were cold enough, it could cause water to freeze, right?

It was a long shot, but definitely worth the try. If it didn't work, they had sealed their doom under the claws of snow and ice. Blue summoned up what little energy he had, taking a deep breath. At first, the power inside of him wouldn't respond, and Blue came close to having a full panic attack. But seconds later, a reassuring hum began to vibrate in his body as a pulsing matter formed in his hands. Blue relaxed, letting the tension flow out of him, and pushed his hands upwards towards the sky. Water suddenly arced out in a giant sprout, forming a wall by Blue's own will. The water met the cold air, and then, miraculously, it froze into a large ice wall.

Blue sank to his knees, leaning against the wall and panting for air, his energy spent from using his hidden ability. The wall was exactly what they'd needed; the frosty air still stung Blue's skin, but the snows and wind had been blocked off from reaching the heroes by the great wall of ice protecting them.

The others, having noticed the snowstorm's sudden absence, looked up to see Blue resting weakly against the enormous ice wall. Vio ran to Blue. "Blue? Blue…"

Blue coughed, shivering. "It… it worked," he muttered. Then he grinned. "Ima frickin' genius, Vio, don't you underestimate that."

"Believe me, I have plenty of times." Vio attempted a weak smile as Blue rolled his eyes.

"Uh, a little help here…" Green called from somewhere below them. Vio turned to see Green fighting his way through the snow, supporting Red.

"Is he okay?" Vio asked as Green neared them, breathing heavily.

"F-Frozen…" Red shuddered. "Sorry, my hands won't move."

Vio's eyes went wide.

"Uh… is that bad?"

"We'll see." Vio's face looked pale as he sat down in the snow and motioned for Red to do the same opposite him. Vio took one of Red's hands and gently bent Red's index finger.

"Ow, stop!" Red winced, jerking his hand out of Vio's grasp. His eyes widened. "S-Sorry!"

"No, it's fine…" Vio shook his head. "No, it's _not_ fine. Red… your blood's freezing up. Sooner or later, your hands will become completely unresponsive."

Red whimpered. "R-Really?!" He stared at his hands. "B-But…"

"We have to go back down," Vio said to the others.

"Wait, what?! But we're almost there!" Blue jabbed a thumb at the peak, which wasn't much more high up on the mountain from the group's location.

"D'you want Red to lose his hands?!" Green shot at Blue.

"If we go back, we'd have to go all the way down, then go back up later! That would waste time, and we're hardly even making it through this snowstorm right now!"

"Listen, Blue," Green growled furiously, "Do you care more about _winning_, or your brothers?"

"When did I ever say_ that_?!"

"I-I think I can make it, if we go up there…" Red immediately quailed under Green's glare as he swiveled around to glare at Red.

"Why're you siding with him?" he demanded. "Red, if you lose your hands, _you lose your hands_."

"Green -" Vio started to say.

"It's not like as if -"

"Green, listen for_ one second_," Vio snapped, causing the other Link to relapse into silence. "What's gotten into you?! Arguing won't do any good; it's wasting more time, and Red's going to freeze either way."

"Can't you summon any fire?" Blue asked.

Red shook his head, shuddering violently. "T-Too c-cold…"

Green shot a glare at Blue, then turned away, crossing his arms. "Fine, then, if you wanna freeze to death. Let's go up there."

"If you guys are really going to duke it out here right now, I could take Red back down while you two go and fight the monster," Vio murmured quietly. Blue and Green started as they both turned to stare at Vio, who quietly looked back at them, deadly serious.

"P-Please, j-just stop fighting," Red pleaded. He took a deep breath. "I-I don't care if my blood freezes, but I'm not going to know it happened because we were fighting!"

Vio turned to Green and Blue. "So, what're you going to do?" he asked them. "You choose."

"Fine. We'll go up there." Green sighed. "Nothing that happens isn't my fault."

_Or is it, little hero…? You are responsible for your brothers, and you know it._

The four Links winced as the deep, raspy-throated voice pounded in their consciousnesses.

"Who in…" Blue drew his sword. "Show yourself!"

A sudden shadow loomed over them, and the heroes looked up to see a colossal beast looming over their heads on the slope above them, its form silhouetted by the cold sun shining directly behind it.

_ My, my! If it isn't our little heroes! I have been waiting for you for a long, long time. Predators always have to wait and be patient. It's boring, yes, but rewarding all the same. _The massive beast lazily stretched a talon towards the heroes, who backed away slowly. _I see you have been using your powers well. _With one fluid motion, the monster took a single swipe at Blue's ice wall, shattering it into fragments and causing the raging snow and winds to once again unleash their fury on the four, blocking their sight of the monster. _Let's see how easily you handle this now! _With roaring laughter, the beast disappeared into the snowstorm.

Blue wasn't sure if the others could hear him, but he tried to communicate all the same. "Follow him!" he yelled desperately. "We can't lose him now! The peak can't be that far away!"

He struggled against the wind, shielding his face with his arm as he trudged onwards, trying to follow the direction in which the monster had gone. Panic gave way to hopelessness as he stumbled about in the snow, the snow draining him of his strength.

_Just… put… one foot… in front of the other…_

Something in the snow caught his attention. Deep, carved trenches in the snow, as if a truck had barreled its way through.

_The monster…?_

Blue gritted his teeth and shoved forward through the snow until he was standing in the monster's tracks. For now, it was clear ground to stand on without being stuck waist-high in the snow, but the persistent snowstorm would cover it up in a matter of minutes if he wasted time. He forced his legs to walk the trail the beast had made, bowing weakly his head against the wind…

Until the snowstorm ceased.

Blue looked up, surprised. _He… was at the peak._

The fierce, black storm clouds were swirling up and around him, creating a dome that crackled with heat and lightning. The peak of the mountain was a flat, rocky plateau that was in the shape of a perfect circle.

_Where was the monster? _Blue whipped his head around, searching for it, when he heard someone call his name from behind. "Blue!"

He turned to see the others as they came through the wall of black clouds, the clouds parting slightly to let them pass and then sealing them in afterwards.

"T-The monster…" Green gasped, panting for air as he doubled over to catch his breath, soaked to the bone from the snowstorm.

The earth beneath them began to rumble ominously, as if called to by Green's words. The Links all gasped and jumped back as an ear-splitting crack sounded and a tiny fissure appeared in the center of the plateau.

Another crack, and the fissure widened, now a large, gaping hole. Suddenly, A pure-white scaly claw shot out of the crack, groping around in the air. The hand opened up, its taloned fingers reaching out to the sky…

And then, a pure bolt of lightning sheared the air as it tore down from the mass of black clouds above to the figure's palm. The air around the Links exploded as the bolt crashed into the earth, sending the Links reeling to the ground as they flung their shields up above them to protect themselves against the chunks of boulder-sized rocks hurtling in all directions. Blue looked up and gasped as he saw a boulder arc high into the air, then fall sharply towards him. It was way too large for Blue's puny shield to deflect it. Blue screwed his eyes shut.

_ Was this the end, to be smashed into a pile of flesh by a boulder…?_

But the end didn't come. Blue hesitantly opened his eyes and saw the boulder straining inches away from his head. He whipped around to see Vio, whose eyes were narrowed in concentration. With a cry, the violet boy tossed the boulder aside with his ancient power, the rock smashing into tiny particles on the ground.

"T-Thanks…" Blue couldn't believe how close he had gotten to death.

Vio held a thumbs-up and mouthed, _I got your back. _

Blue grinned weakly, and turned to see the same monster they had seen before rising up from the center of the earth, bracing itself against the rock with its hands and using them as leverage to push itself up and out. The beast's skin was pulsating, as if it was made of melting snow and slush. It had no eyes or mouth on its head, and instead had only a gaping, dripping mouth and two horns made of ice that curled around its sides.

"W-What is that thing?!" Red cried.

"Arrogohus, the Master of Ice!" Vio yelled. "Watch out for his ice breath!"

The monster roared. _H-How did you get past my snow barrier?! Well done, I must say. But consider this as your last accomplishment. I'm afraid I cannot let you have the light force that easily. _Whipping its massive head to the side, the beast opened its jaws wide, a freezing mix of hail and snow blasting out.

"Scatter!" Green yelled, and the Links ducked and rolled in different directions to avoid the attack. As Red dodged it, he noticed warily that whatever the assault touched, it froze completely. The earth beneath them was now coated with a thick layer of ice, making it even harder to walk properly without sliding.

As the monster's breath stopped, the beast's mouth still open, Vio skidded to a halt in front of it, nocking multiple arrows to his bow and aiming it into the giant's maw. Just as the ice beast was about to close its mouth, a rally of four arrows shot straight into its throat. Arrogohus howled, flailing around as he choked, blood bubbling up from his pierced throat. Turning sharply, the monster caught sight of Vio standing there, with his bow still out, and put two and two together quickly. With a raging roar, the beast swung a claw at the opposing boy, but Vio dodged nimbly out of the way, sending two more arrows into its hand and causing the monster to slam it into the ground in pain.

Coming up from behind Vio, Green and Blue both leaped onto the beast's wounded hand, using it to spring themselves up onto its head. The beast bucked angrily, trying to throw them off, but Green and Blue shoved the tip of their swords straight deep into its flesh. The beast gave another wail of pain, and the two jumped off, rejoining Red and Vio.

_FOOLS! YOU CANNOT BEAT ME! _Arrogohus snarled. With a bestial cry, the monster suddenly reared up on its hind legs, then smashed his front legs down into the earth. A forceful earth tremor blasted in waves around the peak, throwing the unprepared Links to the ground. A buzzing rang in Red's ears as he blinked, trying to clear his vision as it warped, disoriented, blurring his sight. When it finally cleared, Red shakily got up to his feet to see the others lying around him in dazed heaps. Red cried out as he tried to rush to Green's side, who was groaning, when a gigantic icicle sliced towards him and he was forced to roll out of the way. Red looked up, terrified, as the beast loomed above the little hero, glaring down at him in triumph.

_Well, well, look who's the last one standing! _Arrogohos taunted. _I'm not surprised that the fire child is still on his feet. Of course, if you did have your fire, you would have beaten me a long time ago. But my freezing snowstorm has prevented that, I see. _The monster growled, opening its mouth to deliver the death blow. _As it proves, fire does not beat ice. And now, you and your brothers will now finally be out of the great Ganondorf's way, and I will be rewarded!_

Red's hands clenched into fists at his sides, shaking. _What can I do? _he thought, fear overpowering him.

_I'm sorry I couldn't do it, guys…_

Red cast one last glance at his brothers. They were still dazed, but something moving caught his attention and he turned slightly to see Blue weakly heaving himself up to his knees. Blue looked straight into Red's eyes, and Red realized he was saying something with his sharp gaze.

_Take one for the team, Red._

Something surged through Red. _They were counting on him. _

What was he _doing_, giving up like this? Red almost started laughing as pride and joy swept through him.

_He couldn't stop now._

The feeling that was spreading into his body was warmth. But it wasn't warmth from fire, or even light.

The warmth came from his heart.

Red closed his eyes as he summoned the growing warmth into his hands, just as the monster's freezing breath shot towards him. Then, with a yell, Red let go of the hold he had been keeping on his power, and a hot blast of flames surged out, connecting with the beast's attack and overwhelming it instantly, shooting over it and straight into the beast. Red stared, open-mouthed, as the fire erupted, washing over Arrogohus as the monster roared in agony. The fire blocked out any sight Red could keep with the monster, but Red had a feeling the beast was melting.

_Just like snow in fire._

A pair of red eyes with black, slitted pupils suddenly appeared in the midst of the flames as it crackled, the fire turning into a dark black.

_Though you may have defeated me for now…_

_ We will meet again, child of fire._

Then, with a mighty sweep of wind, the fire blew out, and there was nothing left of the monster except a pile of scattered, charred ash.

Red looked at the remains of the Master of Ice. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Blue, Green, and Vio standing behind him silently.

"Red…" Vio shook his head. "That was amazing… How did you summon fire when your hands were frozen?"

Red blushed as he looked down at his hands, which he could move again. Knowing he couldn't explain it all with only words, he smiled as his only response was, "_Heart_."

Blue smacked Red on the back. "That was awesome, what you did! You were like, 'EAT THIS, SNOWMAN!' and he was like -"

"Hold it for later," Vio interrupted. "Look." He walked over to the large fissure Arrogohus had created in the center of the rocky plateau. Their hilts poking out and glinting dimly, Red and Vio's swords were hidden in the crack. Vio walked over to the crevasse and pulled their swords out, then returned to the others and handed Red's sword to him, who grinned and took it. Suddenly, something shining caught the attention of the Links, who all turned to see a glowing sphere of light rising up from the ashes, floating high into the air.

"The light force!" Green gasped.

Red cast a glance at the others, who nodded. As if they knew what to do, the Links formed a circle around the orb of light. Each hero drew his sword, and held it up to the light, their sword tips connecting with each other's.

The orb of light descended down into the swords, balancing on the tips before splitting into four and spiraling down each Link's sword, infusing the blades with their light. When the orb dissipated, the Links looked in amazement at their blades to see that each one now glowed a faint blue.

There was a stunned, awkward silence for a second, and then Green turned away and muttered, "Well… I guess you were right, Blue."

Blue stared at Green for a second, then broke into a grin. "Shut UP! How the heck were you supposed to know that flame boy here -" - he jabbed a thumb at Red - " - would do that - that - WHATEVER it was! Don't be modest on me, we were _both_ stupid, and you should know that."

"Wow, he finally admits he was wrong, for once," Vio muttered, earning himself a glare from Blue.

"Hey, sometimes ya gotta state the facts!"

Green smiled. "So, everything's forgiven…?"

"Duh!"

Vio rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "I guess we should start heading down the mountain now, while it's still daylight."

The earlier spat between Green and Blue before now forgiven, the Links turned to make their way back down the mountain, their spirits raised in elation from their first monster's defeat.

Though it seemed a happy time…

Far away, the shadow watches the Links' progression.

_They have defeated Arrogohus? _

"Yes, your lord Majesty."

_You still have a role to play, you must remember._

"I do."

_Good. Do not forget. _The voice is then gone, having disappeared from the shadow's mind as the shadow turns its attention back to the heroes.

"As you progress in your journey, heroes…" The shadow's hands curl into claws. "You come closer to meeting your fate."

* * *

**Nike: Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**Dargon:** **Thanks to Nike and Twilight (or Vio and Red) for editing! I know it may be haphazardish, with only editing… but thanks so much anyways! And also, thanks to our readers and reviewers! Please review in writing, storyline, plot suggestions, and/or questions! Thank you so much for reading!**


	6. Separated

**Disclaimer: Dargon forgot to put this here (gasp!) and on every other chappie. So, Nike's here to say...WE OWN NOTHING! :D Okay, on with da story! Read on, readers, read on.**

** Dargon: YOU FORGOT IT LAST TIME TOO! AND YOU'RE THE EDITOR AND EVERYTHING! WHAT DO YOU MEAN, _I_ FORGOT? MORE LIKE, YOU DIDN'T CATCH IT! HOW CAN YOU - ARGH! NIKE!**

** Nike: Well, at least we start now. Sorry for not doing disclaimers earlier! **

* * *

"The next monster lives in the Castle in the Sky," Vio explained to the others, the forest behind him eerily quiet around the ominously crackling, blazing campfire the Links were currently situated around. "And that means… We have to go up _there_." He pointed straight upwards, towards the star-lit sky.

"Well, we have horses with _wings_, Vio," Blue pointed out.

Vio sighed. "Yes, that's true, but animals are not machines. They can't keep flying for forever, without having a place to land and rest. If we try to go up there on just our horses, they'll eventually tire and we'll drop."

Red shuddered as he imagined becoming a grease spot on the ground. "So, what do we do?"

"I have a theory. As Green can control the winds… if he can do it long enough, an updraft blowing up towards the sky, the horses may be able to catch it and soar up without using most of their energy. Then, once they're high up enough, they might be able to take it from there to the Castle." Vio paused as he looked around at the others.

Green didn't look as sure. "Wait, but… I've never tried that before. W-What if I mess up? We're all dead if I lose concentration!"

Vio shrugged. "It's just a suggestion."

"I don't think it's just a suggestion. Does anyone else have a better idea?" Blue asked.

Silence.

Blue sighed, muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "of course", and turned back to Vio. "Well, I guess we're using your plan, then."

"Uh…" Green protested, his voice catching in his throat.

Vio shot a glare at Blue. "We don't have to do it this way."

"Well, it's the only option we have right now! Are you gonna do it, or not?" Blue asked Green impatiently.

Green swallowed hard. "Okay… I can do it." He took a deep breath. "Give me some time to practice."

As morning dawned on the Links' camp they had made out in a clearing in the woods, Green rubbed his eyes tiredly, trying to stay awake. He had been up all night practicing with the winds.

"By 'practice', I wasn't expecting you to stay up all night," Blue commented as he stretched, walking over to Green.

Green stifled a yawn. "It paid off… I think I got it now."

Blue rolled his eyes. "Just remember, if you mess up, we're all dead." He winked cockily. "So, no pressure."

Green sighed. "I'll keep that in mind."

Vio and Red joined them a few seconds later, Red still half-asleep. "Ready?" Vio asked Green, who nodded firmly, tight knots forming in the pits of his stomach.

"You can do it!" Red added cheerfully. Green smiled. Well, at least Red didn't seem to be worried about him failing them.

Red turned and whistled the notes of the Four Sword Goddess's song, and seconds later, their horses thundered into camp, skidding to a halt in front of the Links. The Links all hoisted themselves onto their horses, and Green started to hyperventilate as everyone's attention turned to him, waiting for him to cast an updraft. Crazy thoughts swirled around his mind, causing pandemonium.

_What if I can't -_

_Don't think I practiced hard enough -_

_What if -_

_One false move, and we're dead -_

As if his horse could sense his panic, Green's steed bucked a bit, neighing. Green looked at it, and his horse turned its head to face him. Green immediately felt a wave of gratefulness and calm wash over him as the horse seemed to trying to be encouraging him with its whinnying.

_Okay… _Green thought, gripping the sides of the horse.

_Here goes nothing._

He summoned his ability, willing it to rise upwards. A sudden wind flowed underneath them, curving to blast air up in an updraft. The horses spread their wings, the air supporting their feathers, and with a flap, the horses launched into the air and began spiraling upwards. Green tried not to look at the ground below them as it fell away from them as they flew higher, focusing his concentration on keeping the updraft flowing. With every minute that passed, Green began to gain more and more confidence.

But, all too soon, a loud screeching filled the air. Green wrenched his eyes open to see a mass of winged centipedes circling them, squawking and shrieking. The horses bucked and whinnied in agitation as the centipedes slashed out at them with their sharp pincers.

"What the -" Green began to say, but was cut off sharply by Vio. "Green, concentrate! We'll hold them off!" Vio yelled as he whipped out his bow and sent two arrows into the gaping maw of a centipede, causing it to screech and dissipate into purple mist.

Green could feel his horse panicking as his concentration wavered, causing the updraft beneath them to disappear for a split second. Green forced himself to focus entirely on keeping the updraft stable, his heart pounding in his chest. Bit by bit, the horses rose higher into the air by the updraft of wind, but the monsters would follow them, swooping around them and trying to take a bite out of the horses. Green gasped and nearly lost his concentration when a centipede lunged for him, but Blue quickly swooped past, whipping his hammer in a full arc at the centipede's head and connecting with its bulbous, gelatinous head. The monster howled and tumbled out of the air, quickly losing altitude. It wouldn't be long until it would hit the far ground below. Green tore his thoughts away from the tumbling monster and back to controlling the winds.

This wasn't working. The commotion was too distracting. Green closed his eyes and shut everything, sound and sight, out from his head.

Engulfed in the darkness, alone in the silence, Green willed the updraft to flow faster upwards, feeling a pull in his gut as the winds responded. Immediately, he could feel his horse underneath him shoot higher upwards. Green took a deep breath and forced all of his energy on keeping the wind flowing when…

"There!" he heard someone suddenly shout, and Green opened his eyes. The horses were flying, shooting across the sky, the centipedes gone, having fallen far behind.

He had done it! The horses had been able to get up high enough, with the help of the updraft, to fly for the Castle in the Sky. The wind whipped around the heroes as Green let out a long sigh of relief, grinning ear to ear in elation. Well, that was one more thing accomplished.

His energy spent from summoning the updraft, Green leaned against the horse's neck tiredly and, without realizing it, fell asleep.

* * *

"Is that it?" Red called to the others as a large, golden, glittering palace supported up by thick, fluffy white clouds came into view.

"Yeah!" he heard Vio call back. "The Castle in the Sky! No mortal has ever set foot in the golden palace before."

"Well, we're changing that now!" Blue yelled.

As the horses touched down on the cloud ledge outside of the entrance to the palace, Vio leaped off onto the clouds. He bent down, scooping up a handful of the fluffy material. "It's almost like cotton, but stronger."

Blue swung himself down as well. Red patted his horse, who nickered in pleasure, and jumped down. He turned to see Green curled up on his horse, and ran to the green-hued horse. "Green, wake up!" Red shook Green gently.

Green yawned and opened his eyes. "Huh…?"

"That was amazing!" Red exclaimed. "You did it!" He grinned up at Green.

Green smiled back and swung himself off of his horse. "Thanks, Red." They walked over to join Vio and Blue, who were both facing the entrance to the palace silently.

Deep within its depths, a beast lay hidden, waiting for them.

"Well… here we go again!" Blue sighed, but he was grinning. "Another obstacle to clear. Whoop-de-freaking-do!"

"Of course, Blue has to ruin it," Green muttered.

Vio smiled. "I think we can do this… _together_."

To lighten up the mood, Red broke into a song. "Wonder Links, Wonder Links, we save the world, from the evil Ganondorf and for Zeldaaaaa…"

Blue rolled his eyes and Vio and Green started to crack up.

"What?" Red asked.

Blue snorted. "Nice, Red. But don't you think we're getting a little off-task, here?"

The others smiled, and they turned to walk through the entrance and into the dark interior of the foreboding temple together.

The four entered into a room. The walls and floor was carved out of dull stone, and a lone torch flickered on the opposite side of the room. In the middle of the room, a headstone stood crooked, cracked and nearly intelligible. Vio knelt down in front of the headstone, studying it.

"What's it say?" Red asked in a hushed whisper.

"It says… '_Do not let your eyes deceive your mind. What may appear as is not exactly as it is._'"

"Oooooh, creepy," Blue said, rolling his eyes.

Green ignored him. "So… like, things don't appear as they seem?"

"I would guess so," Vio replied. "Let's see what's in the other room." He walked to the only other door in the room besides the entrance and turned the doorknob. With a creak, the door swung open, and the Links all gasped.

In the next room, there was no floor. Instead, a huge gap in between the Links and the other door across the far side of the room opened up to reveal miles of cloudy skies below them. Green leaned over to see the ground far, far away below them. His head spun, and he quickly drew back. "You might not want to look down."

Blue leaned over to take a look, ignoring Green as usual. "How're we going to get across?"

Vio seemed to be deep in thought. Finally, he spoke. "'_Do not let your eyes deceive your mind_'...'_What may appear as is not exactly as it is._' I think this may count as an eye-deceiver. What if the message means that this isn't actually a gap, open to the sky?"

"Only one way to find out…" Red opened up his pouch of stones for his slingshot and selected a small stone. He drew his arm back, then hurled the stone at the gap of empty space.

To their surprise, the stone bounced off of the gap, as if there was an invisible floor there, and skidded along the invisible surface, coming to a stop at the other side of the room, floating in midair.

Green blinked. "Wow…"

"Tricky, huh?" Before the others could stop him, Blue jumped into the gap, landing on empty air. He turned to look at the others and grinned, standing on the invisible floor. "Nice!"

The others looked at each other, shrugging, and then they also stepped out onto the gap.

Green looked down at his feet, the vast expanse of clouds moving underneath him. He began to walk towards the door on the opposite side of the room, leading to the next room, when a sudden, strange feeling came over him. _What the -_

Suddenly, a pounding headache erupted behind his eyes, causing Green to gasp in agony as the pain stained his vision red. He forced himself to resist the urge to curl up into a ball and staggered forward.

_What was happening? _Why_ was this happening?_

Green would've collapsed on the spot if two strong arms hadn't caught him. Green yelped in pain as the sudden movement caused his head to spin dizzily.

Through the agony he could hear someone ask, "What's wrong with him?"

"I-I'm fine," he tried to choke out, but only a guttural, choking sound escaped his throat.

"Green? Green," Vio asked. "Can you hear me? What's wrong?"

"I-It's just a headache…" he finally managed to rasp.

"It doesn't look like it to me..."

Suddenly, a cry rang out. "Red?! Red!"

Green opened his eyes to see Vio leaning over Red, who was on his knees, his hands clawing at his head.

"Oh, shoot," Vio muttered to himself.

"What?!" Blue demanded, who was supporting Green.

"I-It's the altitude. We're too high up in the air for a human body to function as properly as on the ground. We… might not be able…" Vio's voice shook as he clasped a hand to his forehead. "I think… it's affecting me too..."

Blue grit his teeth as his head began to spin. They had to get out of there, or…

The ground beneath him seemed to roll and tumble as if there was an earthquake, and, without knowing how he had gotten there, Blue was suddenly on the floor. He tried to claw his way back up into standing, fighting the impulse to give up, but the altitude quickly overpowered him as darkness gathered in his vision, and then swallowed him completely.

* * *

The shadowy figure stood in the room, the dark clouds billowing underneath his feet. He gazed down at the unconscious children.

They weren't going to live long like this.

The figure sighed in exasperation and willed a gentle breeze to rise up. The slight rush of wind spread throughout the area of the room, lifting the pressure of the air and making it lighter. There. Now the children would be able to breathe properly… or, as the violet-clothed child had said, "function properly" when they woke up.

The figure looked once more at the children, then turned and swept from the room.

* * *

Vio gasped for air as his eyes flew open, sucking in a long gulp of the sweet air. Coughing, he slowly raised himself to a sitting position and looked around.

_How. Were. They. Not. DEAD?_

They shouldn't be alive. Not after collapsing in an atmosphere that the human body was incapable of surviving in.

Vio took another deep breath. The air pressure had noticeably been lifted.

_ Had… someone saved them?_

Vio knew the air didn't just change on its own. There was no doubt that someone had helped them, lifted the air so that they could breathe.

A small groan emitted to Vio's right and Vio crawled over to Red, whose body was shaking in a fit of uncontrollable hacking. Red swallowed weakly, trying to wet his parched throat. "T-That was _awful_," he coughed.

"I know," Vio agreed. "Can you get up?"  
"Yeah…" Red heaved himself up to his knees. "Are Green and Blue... okay?"

"Not very," A voice sounded behind them. Vio and Red turned to see Blue and Green both shakily getting up as well. "I NEVER want to go through that again," Blue gasped.

"How're we… how're we…" Green swallowed, and tried again. "Shouldn't we be dead?"

"Exactly what I was thinking." Vio sighed in frustration. "_Someone_ must've helped us. But who?"

The others all shook their heads.

"Well, we gotta get going," Blue reminded them. "We've wasted too much time passed out. We have another monster to kill for the light force!"

Even though all the Links were weak from having passed out, they knew Blue was right; they were wasting precious time. Staggering slightly, the Links all struggled to their feet. Vio looked at all of the others. How were they going to defeat the next monster? Red had a slight limp to his walk now, and both Green and Blue's faces were gaunt and pale. Vio knew he wasn't much better off.

They could only hope now.

Hoping this wouldn't be the last moment of their lives, Vio opened the wooden door, and they all walked through.

* * *

The light from the sky outside filtered into the dark chamber by the small windows placed around the circumference of the circular room. The Links all looked up to see that the chamber stretched high up into darkness, the ceiling too high to be seen.

The moment the four had crossed into the middle of the chamber, the muffled sound of beating wings greeted them, becoming louder and louder as the seconds passed. Then, abruptly, a small, white object fluttered from the darkness above to the ground. Blue leaned closer to see that it was a single feather.

Suddenly, a loud shriek filled the air, and a large shadow came hurtling down. The Links all ducked as the great shadow swooped just over their heads and turned to see a gigantic, winged centipede that was almost as large as the area of the chamber itself hovering in the air behind them. The flying insect clacked two of its front legs together, creating a sinister sound that cut through the silence. _Hello… young heroes. I hope you enjoyed that little visit my smaller minions had paid you when you were travelling to my domain here in the Sky Realm. _

"That was you?!" Green yelled.

The monster cackled. _Yes, it was. Though they have failed in destroying you... Your blood will make a fine feast for me. It's a pity you must die so young. But… light cannot triumph! _

The centipede let out a long chortling sound and suddenly arced in a nose-dive towards the heroes. Blue managed to duck out of the way as the monster whipped past him, but as the beast pulled out of its dive and rose back into the air, Blue could see a struggling figure in the insect's claws. "Red!" he yelled.

Red tried to yank himself free of the sharp pincers of the beast, but its pincers dug deeper into his skin, preventing his escape. The centipede held the squirming boy to its face so that Red was forced to look into the monster's large, bulbous eyes.

_Well, I suppose I must make do with killing you off one by one. _The monster's pincers opened wide, revealing the beast's gaping maw, which was lined with needle-sharp teeth.

The centipede's claws were pinning Red's arms to his sides, but if he could just create a distraction…

Suddenly, the monster howled in pain as three arrows sliced into its underbelly just below Red. It loosened its grip on Red slightly, but didn't let go. That was enough for Red, though, who reached behind him with his now-free arm and pulled out his sword. When the monster turned back to face Red, he thrust the tip of his sword straight into the beast's large, orange left eye, sinking it deep into the gelatinous substance of the beast's eye. With a loud shriek and an oozing substance dripping from the wound Red's sword had created, the monster flung Red to the ground. Before the boy could smash into the ground, a slight burst of wind caught him and dropped him gently onto the ground. Red cast a grateful glance at Green, who shot him a quick grin.

The centipede growled, then raised its head and screeched a high-pitched note in some sort of call. Suddenly, a loud buzzing sounded, and a horde of smaller winged centipedes came shooting down at the Links.

Blue leaped off from the ground and swung his sword at the oncoming attackers, slicing three of the centipedes' heads clean off and causing a green substance to spurt out as the decapitated bodies crashed to the floor and crumbled into dust. Blue was about to slash at another group of the flying insects when the giant centipede swooped down and slashed at the Links, raking a claw across Blue's back and causing him to slam into the ground painfully. Blue shakily got up to see the centipede's pincer hovering just a few inches away from his chest, ready to impale him. But before the pincer could slice through his flesh, a large stone suddenly crashed into the monster's pincer and tore it off from its body. Blue whipped his head to the side to see Red holding his slingshot, the disembodied pincer lying in a pool of green glop a few feet away.

Roaring, the centipede glared hatefully at the Links and twisted in midair to dive towards the Links yet again, its jaw gaping wide open to devour anything in its path this time.

But the Links were ready. As the insect slashed through the air towards them, the Links all dodged to the side at the same time and slashed their swords in unison at the centipede's wings, causing them to tear off of the centipede's body. The monster screamed and, unable to stop itself without its wings, crashed and skidded along the ground until it smashed into the wall. Blue grabbed his hammer and sprinted towards the monster, who lay crumpled on the ground. Blue leaped off from the ground and twisted in midair to land on the centipede's head.

"Who's laughing now, bug?" Blue grinned, almost insanely, as he looked down at the dazed and helpless monster. Without waiting for an answer, Blue drew the hammer high above his head…

And brought it crashing down with all of his strength onto the monster's head. As soon as the beast's head came in contact with the hammer, it exploded, sending green goo flying in all directions. The decapitated body of the insect curled up and withered into purple mist. Blue strode back to the others, who all cheered weakly in elation.

The last monster of the light force had been defeated!

As the purplish mist dissolved into the air, a shining sphere of light rose up, glowing brightly. But their victory was short-lived. As the Links started towards it, all of a sudden, the light fizzled and disappeared into thin air, leaving no trace that it had been there only seconds ago behind.

"What -" Green started to say, his eyes wide, when a cold laugh penetrated the stunned silence.

The Links whipped around to see Shadow Link standing silently behind them.

"You!" Blue yelled.

Shadow grinned cockily, tilting his head to the side. "Yes, me. Surprised?" He held out his hand, in which the sphere of light force was resting. "Looking for something? Well, I'm afraid it's lost now." He curled his claws into a fist, causing the sphere to shatter into pieces. The fragments cascaded down onto the ground, where they dissolved into light. "Now… where was I?" Shadow laughed at the stunned faces of the Links. "Oh, yes. I wanted to congratulate you on defeating my monsters. Too bad it was for nothing, though, since you only have half of the light force's power. Without its power, you won't be able to defeat the darkness."

The Links could only stare at their shadow as he smiled widely back at them.

"And since we can't have you in our way…" Shadow raised his hand in the air. "I'm afraid we have to dispose of you."

He snapped his fingers, and a rattling rumble suddenly shook the ground beneath the Links. A crack blossomed in the center of where the Links were standing. It widened, lines spreading and opening up through the earth. Then, the ground gave way underneath them, and shards of rocks crumbled into the abyss. As Green tumbled into the gap, he managed to grab onto the edge of the fissure. His arms shook with the strain of keeping a hold on the ledge, but he managed to lock his fingers by digging them into the cracks in the stone. Green looked up to see Shadow standing over him, his eyes glinting maliciously as he looked down at the struggling Link.

"N-No…!" he tried to gasp out, but Shadow was already one step ahead of him, grinding his heel into Green's hand. Green winced from the pain, but he managed to hold on. "D-Don't…"

"Don't do what?" Shadow mocked, grinning. "You are persistent, aren't you?" He bent down in front of Green. "Looks like we have to do it this way." His hands began to crackle with dark energy. "Goodbye, Green." He slammed his hands down onto Green's, sending the current of dark energy into Green's body and up his left arm. As it arced painfully into Green, he felt his fingers involuntarily slip, and then he was plummeting into the darkness.

Shadow gazed down in satisfaction at the chasm in which the Links had fallen into.

All except for one…

He turned to Vio, who he had pinned against the wall by shadows. He sauntered up to the struggling boy. "Your brothers are all gone, you realize that?"

Vio choked as the dark tendrils of shadow wrapped around his throat, clawing at them. "Where did you send them?!"

"Oh, just the Dark World." The shadow grinned as he saw Vio's eyes widen. "You know what that is, right? See, this is why we need you, Vio. Your intelligence would be extremely useful to us. Join us, and you can have power."

Vio grimaced as the shadows brushed against his skin, as cold as ice. "Over my dead body," he growled.

Shadow sighed. "I was afraid you would say that. But you don't have much of a choice, anyways." He snapped his fingers again, and the shadows containing Vio spread over the violet-clad boy, cocooning him entirely in a sphere of shadow. Shadow grinned, and he and the sphere of shadow disappeared into the air.

* * *

**Dargon: DUN DUN DUNNN! (How many times have we done that?) What will happen to each of the Links, now that Vio has been separated from the group? Find out in the next chapter, coming soon! Please review! Thanks to all of our readers and reviewers for reviewing and reading! Uhhh I messed that up… Make sure to check on updates on our profile! **

**Credit to Nike! She thought of the "Wonder Links, Wonder Links, we save the world, from the evil Ganondorf and for Zeldaaaaa…" song! Copyrighted :D**

**Nike: Wait...he separated from the group?! Oh, oh, right. Yes, he did! What will await the Links as the brain of their group leaves them? OH NO!**


	7. Darkness Overruled

**Dargon: Heh heh… HEY GUYS AND GALS :D Whassup? I hope you enjoyed the story so far… OMG THANKS TO ALL OF OUR READERS AND REVIEWERS! MORE THAN 600 VIEWS! MAN I AM SO HAPPY… THANKS TO ALL OF OUR REVIEWERS TOO FOR ALL OF YOUR ENCOURAGING WORDS! Thank you so much :D **

**I know, I'm sorry it's been such a long while! Here's the next chapter! FINALLY!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: It just wasn't meant to be. We don't own anything. :( But thanks so much to Nintendo for creating such an AWESOME GAME SERIES! And thanks to Akira Himekawa for creating such an AWESOME MANGA SPINOFF! **

**Dargon: OH! ALMOST FORGOT! And for those of you who were wondering about if I was basing this off of the Four Swords Manga, then DING! You are correct! Enjoy~!**

* * *

Blue cried out in agony as the pain flared. He tried to suck in air, but his chest felt as if it were constricting and the pain caused him to groan. Something immediately clamped over his mouth, and Blue thrashed as he tried to rip it off. "OW!"

"Chill!" A hushed voice hissed. "It's me! Green!"

Blue stopped struggling and tried to sit up, but a hand gently eased him back down.

"Hold on. Stay down. I don't think you're in a good condition to move yet."

As Blue's vision adjusted to the darkness, he could just make out the silhouette of Green's worried face, streaked with grime and a few smudges of dried blood.

Green sighed. "Try not to move so much. After that fall, you landed pretty hard."

"That fall…" It all came rushing back to Blue. Shadow, the chasm, falling…

Falling into darkness…

"Argh! That shadow jerk!" Blue slammed a fist onto the ground. "He thinks he's so superior… and look where he's landed us now!"

"Shhh!" Green hissed. "There's no telling what's in here."

"Where are we, exactly?"

Green shrugged helplessly. "I don't know… but I know it's bad."

Another face appeared in Blue's line of sight. "Are you feeling okay, Blue?"

Blue squinted. "Komato?"

The little dragon shuddered. "I can sense a great, evil presence all around us. We have to be careful."

"He helped start the fire," Green explained, motioning to a small campfire nearby flickering weakly and eating up a few rotten logs.

"Where's Red?" Blue asked. Behind Green, he could see a crumpled figure lying on the ground. "Oh. Is he alright?"

Green glanced, concerned, at Red. "He hasn't woken up yet, but I don't think there's anything wrong with him rather than just a few bruises."

"And Vio…?" Blue couldn't see any sign of him anywhere.

Green stared at the ground. "Um… I… I-I couldn't find him anywhere. But I don't think he's down here… I thought I saw him on the edge of the hole just as I fell," he added quietly.

Blue stared at him. "He's… up there?! With Shadow?!"

Green shook his head. "I have no idea… We can only try to figure out a way out of here."

"Green? Blue?" A timid voice asked. Green turned to see Red groggily sitting up, rubbing his eyes. "Ow… Where are we?"

"Like sure as heck we would know, Red," Blue snapped in frustration. "Maybe we're dead, for all we know."

Green glanced at Komato. "Any words of wisdom from the goddess?"

The dragon shook his head, but something seemed to be bothering him. "I know I recognize this place from somewhere… but I can't remember."

Green sighed. "Well, we can't do much right now, so I guess we should just rest up."

With a start, Blue realized how tired he was. The events that had occurred recently, after killing a giant, winged centipede and being thrown into… into… _wherever _this was, had caused an adrenaline rush through Blue. But now, in the cold darkness, he was sore and exhausted. He couldn't remember the last time they had slept. Blue shifted so that he was lying on his back, looking up at the twilit sky above him. He closed his eyes, and only seconds later, his breathing became heavy and he sank into a deep slumber.

Red offered to take first watch, but Komato insisted he and Green rest as well, since they had been the ones who had taken the impact of the fall (Komato had been safely tucked into Green's tunic and hadn't felt anything except for a jarring thud). As the red and green clothed boys also fell asleep, Komato curled up near the fire and watched the glowing embers flicker, left alone with only his thoughts and the fire to accompany him.

_He had lost his memory a long time ago._

Komato was sure that he had had a family before. His dreams consisted of murky smiling, kind faces he was sure were his parents and siblings, though he didn't know how.

...His dreams would always end with them dissolving into shadow. All he knew was that one day, he had awoken in a hot spring, and the goddess had called out to him. From that point on, the goddess christened him as her messenger.

And then the Links had come along…

Komato had promised himself that he would go out to find his family one day. He had always dreamt of how happy they would be when he finally came home.

He would only have to wait just a little more.

* * *

Red was standing in a dimly-lit room, lighted only by a small, flickering torch on one wall.

_What was this place?_

The walls and floor were all hard, gray concrete, and there were no doors or windows. Red turned to look behind him and gasped out loud. In the far corner of the square room, a figure was sitting, huddled in the corner and leaning against the wall. And not just any figure. With a start, Red realized it was his violet-clad brother.

"Vio!" Red tried to call out, but his voice wouldn't work. His legs wouldn't function either, rooting him to the spot and keeping him from reaching Vio.

Vio was chained to the wall by a set of chains wound tightly around his neck, preventing him from moving without increasing pressure on his throat. Lying forgotten a few inches away from the boy was a heavy, old book, its pages open to a point around the middle of the book. Vio stared at the words on the page, but he didn't seem to be reading.

Red could only look at Vio's weary figure. _Vio… what did they do to you…? _Red asked himself silently.

As if he had heard him, Vio looked slowly up to meet Red's eyes. For what seemed to be a long time, the two boys looked at each other. Then, Vio shook his head. _Wake up, Red._

_Wake up._

"Red, wake up!"

Red's eyes shot open. "Vio!"

"What?"

Red looked at the confused and concerned face of Komato hovering over him. "Oh… uh, never mind."

"Shhh. Do you hear that?" Komato asked, lifting a talon to his lips.

Red and the little dragon fell silent, listening for what had bothered Komato. A moment later, a low, eerie growl cut through the darkness around them, bouncing in all directions and making it impossible to tell which way it was coming from.

"...Yeah," Red squeaked.

"There's something after us." Komato shook his head. "Quick! Go wake up the others. I'll -"

A sudden whoosh of cold wind burst around the two, causing the nearby flickering fire to blow out and throw them into complete darkness.

"Okay, maybe not." Komato said, his eyes wide.

Red felt around blindly in the darkness. "Green! Blue!" he called in a whisper, hoping it would reach their ears.

Something shifted next to Red and Red nearly yelped, whipping around.

"It's just me, Red," the sound of Blue's annoyed voice issued out of the darkness next to him.

Red let out a silent breath of relief. "I-I think something's coming for us." Right after he had uttered those words, another growl sounded, louder than the one before.

"Ooooookay," Blue said slowly. "Where's the fire? We gotta get moving."

"Hold on, where's Green?"

"Right here."

A sudden burst of flame made the three Links jump and turn towards the source of the noise and sight. Komato was holding up a flaming torch, its end burning brightly in the darkness. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly.

"Which way do we go?"

"How about.. that way?"

"Where are you pointing?"

"I think… north."

"Wait, why north?"

"Shhh!" Green hissed. "Let's just pick a direction and go! I don't think we want to wait here for whatever that was to get us!"

"Okay, then, that way. Komato, can I have the torch?"

"Sure." Komato handed the torch over to Blue. Green held his hand out to Komato, who leaped onto it, then scurried into the safety of Green's tunic pocket.

The Links began to travel north, not sure of where they were going, but determined all the same. The deep growls of the beast behind them echoed around them air as they travelled. Blue held the torch out in front of them firmly, leading the way with its light.

"Where are we going?" Red whispered.

"I dunno," Blue admitted. "We're bound to come across something sooner or later."

Suddenly, a roar ripped through the air, causing the Links to jump. They turned to see a pair of gleaming, red eyes with black, slitted pupils glaring at them, only a few feet away.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhkay," Green murmured slowly. "I think we might have found our guy."

The owner of the glowering eyes moved forward into the light of Blue's torch, growling and baring pearly-white fanged teeth. The large beast looked like a wolf, but it was way too giant for it to be a regular wolf. Saliva dripped from its fangs, and as the beast moved, its muscles rippled with brute strength.

The large gray wolf acknowledged them for a few moments, looking them up and down, then growled, "How are you still human?"

"W-What?" Red blinked.

"How. Are. You. Still. HUMAN?"The wolf angrily repeated, its coarse fur bristling.

"Chill, man. Or wolf. Whatever. What're you talking about?" Blue demanded.

The wolf regarded him coldly. "Everyone who is sent to the Dark World is turned into a monster. I used to be a greedy king, who didn't care much about anything rather than the rarest riches. Now, I have been banished here, forever to think about how selfish I was. So, how are you not beasts?"

The Links looked at each other. "Uh…"

"Hm. Is it possible…?" The wolf mused to himself. Then, louder, he spoke. "Show me your left hand," he commanded.

The Links all raised their left hands, unsure of what the wolf might have in mind. They jumped as the backs of their hands began to glow. It was not their skin, but the mark of the triforce that was glowing so brightly that the wolf backed away a bit, not being used to the light after living in complete darkness for so long.

"It _is _true," the wolf murmured as he stared, almost uncomprehending, at the marks on each of the Links' hands.

"...What is it?" Green asked.

The wolf sighed. "There has been a legendary tale, a legend of old… that the heroes of the triforce would one day come down to the Dark Realm and save the wretched and lost forever sentenced to live in the dark, and restore peace and light to the Dark Realm's inhabitants. But it was only that… a legend. No one could hope that it was true."

"Oh, so _that's_ what I was forgetting!" Komato exclaimed. "This place is the Dark World!"

"Will you help us?" The wolf asked. "We have been waiting for a savior for so long."

The Links nodded. "Well, we're heroes!" Red exclaimed. "We help people!"

The wolf seemed to be content with that answer as he turned. "Walk in the same direction you were going in before," he told them. "You will come across a large chasm, with a wooden rope bridge. Cross that, and… you will meet the Shadow Master. He is the one who is in control of the Dark Realm. Defeat him, and we will be able to finally live in peace."

"Thank you!" Red called to the wolf as the Links nodded and turned to head north again, this time to defeat the Shadow Master.

The wolf bowed slightly in quiet respect, watching the Links as they walked away, towards the next leg of their journey. Then, he turned to pad away in the opposite direction of the Links, disappearing into the darkness.

As they walked, Red could see monsters in the gloom gathering around them, watching the heroes as they walked by. A chorus of hisses and growls filled the air, but Red somehow knew it was their way of saying, _Good luck._

Red hadn't realized how important they were to everybody, both in the regular world and the Dark World. They depended on the heroes to drive back the growing darkness that haunted Hyrule. So far, Red had had doubts about their journey, wondering if they really were strong enough to be able to defeat the evil that was rising. But now, Red could feel a little more confident about their quest.

Komato poked his head out of Green's pocket. "I have news," he announced.

"What is it?" Green asked.

"I can hear a slight presence coming in the direction we're walking in now. And I'm absolutely positive it's the Four Sword Goddess. She might have been imprisoned down here and guarded by the Shadow Master! We can save all of the inhabitants of the Dark World _and_ the Four Sword Goddess, if I'm right about her being there."

"Well, that's some more good news," Blue said.

"I wonder how these people lived here," Green murmured, looking around at all of the beasts around them. "With no light at all…"

Red nodded. "Well, at least we might be able to help them now!"

"Yeah." Green smiled, and they continued on their journey.

* * *

As they drew closer to the chasm, somehow the darkness around them seemed to get more ominous, pressing in on them. Soon, the three Links were peering over the edge of the chasm into the dark void below.

"Where's the rope bridge?" Red asked.

"Over here." Green pointed to a dark shape to their right, spreading over the width of the chasm.

The Links stepped tentatively onto the unstable bridge, causing it to sway side to side. Red grabbed onto the rope railing to steady himself, and when the bridge stopped moving, he let go.

"I'm starting to sorta think this bridge is a bad idea," he squeaked.

"C'mon, it's fine." Blue rolled his eyes and continued walking, the others trailing behind him.

They were almost across the bridge when it decided to mess with them.

Green was the first one to turn around when he heard a loud snap sound behind them. In the center of the bridge, the ropes supporting the wooden planks that made up the bridge were almost snapped in half, hanging by a thread.

"Uh, you might want to move a little faster!" Green called to the others. The Links sped up, and they were almost at the other side when the ropes suddenly broke completely. For a moment, nothing happened, and then the bridge broke into two, the halves falling and smashing into either sides of the chasm. Green managed to grab onto a wooden plank of the bridge as it went down, clinging into it as the gaping chasm loomed menacingly below him. Now the bridge was vertical instead of horizontal. Green looked up to see the others not high up from him, each clinging to their own planks. "Climb!" he yelled, and Blue, who was the highest up, shimmied his way up the planks and to the safety to the ground of the cliff with the others following closely behind him. When everyone was finally on solid ground, Green let out a sigh of relief and turned to see the broken bridge. "Well… we're definitely not going back this way."

The others nodded, still trying to catch their breath.

"Where's this Shadow Master guy?" Blue demanded, straightening up and looking around. "C'mon out, you coward! Let's go! Don't stall your death!"

_My, how arrogant you are, little hero._

"That's right, bring it on, sucker!" Blue shouted.

"Uh, Blue…?" Red asked.

A large paw suddenly came crashing down out of the darkness, smashing into the ground inches away from Blue, who jumped, despite himself.

_That's what I thought. _Harsh laughter echoed around the Links. _Cowardly fleas! How do you ever hope to defeat me now?_

The monster's full body slinked into the Links' view, and the three gasped.

"A-Arrogohus?" Red squeaked.

The monster that loomed over them was, unmistakably, the same monster they had battled in the Ice Cavern, but it was different in appearance.

_Actually, more like completely different,_ Red thought as he stared up at the monster.

Now, instead of Arrogohus's skin looking as if it were melting snow and slush, it looked as if there was a molting, pulsating coat of shifting black and purple covering the monster.

_Remember, little hero, when I vowed we would meet again? _The monster's silky, smooth voice taunted. _Well, here we are again._

"You're goin' DOWN," Blue interrupted, swinging his sword in defiance.

"What're you doing?" Green hissed.

"I dunno. Maybe something called trash-talking?"

_Last time I was the Master of Ice. My snow and ice were quite vulnerable to your element, Child of Fire. But now, as you can see… I am darkness, which no fire can drive away! _

Red swallowed. He _did_ remember when Arrohogus had said that. He could remember it all too clearly…

_Now, you have come a long way, _Arrogohus continued. _Defeating me for the first time and the monster in the Sky Realm. But your luck will finally run out here. _The monster snapped its jaws open, a blast of black shadows shooting out and smashing into the ground right in front of the Links. As he ducked to the side to avoid the attack, Red tried to summon fire to light up the darkness around them, but it quickly flickered out.

_As I said, my darkness is too powerful for your tiny, weak light. _The monster suddenly whipped its tail around, knocking Red's feet out from under himself and causing him to fall. Red winced from the pain and staggered to his feet, managing to roll to the side just as the beast raked its claws at the spot in which he had been standing only moments before.

"Over here!" Blue suddenly shouted, and Arrogohus whipped his head around to face him, snarling. Red and Green only had to glance once at each other before sprinting towards the monster together and thrusting their swords into the monster's pulpy skin in unison. The light from their swords cut open notches in the beast's skin, causing an inky, black substance to pour out in great torrents, almost dousing the two. But as Green tried to dodge away, the substance came in contact with Green's skin, burning straight through his flesh and causing Green to cry out and drop his sword from the pain. He looked down at his shoulder at the same spot where the substance had sunk into his flesh to see a large, almost-black burn against his skin. The pain spread rapidly throughout his whole entire body, numbing him in the inside.

Green struggled to stand up as the great form of Arrogohus towered over him, smirking in triumph. _My blood is a poison, designed to stun whoever would be so unlucky as to touch it. _

_C'mon, Green, you're better than this! _Green scolded himself, trying to force his body mentally to function again, but he sank to his knees as the pain doubled.

He managed to force himself into looking up just as Arrogohus opened his mouth, another blast of dark matter forming at the back of his mouth, and knew he wouldn't be able to dodge this attack. It was a terrible feeling, knowing that the end was coming for him, yet he couldn't do anything about it, just watch.

But just as the beast released his attack on the helpless hero…

Green could not explain what exactly he had seen at first later. He could only say that he had saw a quick blur of color flash before his eyes in between of the Arrogohus's shadow breath and his own body, when the world exploded into black matter and Green was forced to shut his eyes. When he opened them, his vision was blurry for a moment, but then, as it cleared, he could see a small figure lying in a pool of shadow in front of him, just as the shadows seeped into the ground. His mind began listing the possibilities of who the figure could be, and when it stopped at one particular creature…

_Oh, NO._

Ignoring the stabbing pains in his shoulder, Green forced himself forward. He ran towards the figure, collapsing to his knees when he reached it. "NO!" he cried, as his worst fear was confirmed.

Komato was lying in a heap, his eyes closed. The shadow matter had mutated his scales, burning them completely in some places and exposing raw, glistening pink skin.

Somehow, Green knew the damage done was unfixable.

"WHY?" Green cried, as Red and Blue joined him. "Komato, why?!"

"Komato..." Red murmured.

Komato's eyes weakly fluttered open, and he smiled sadly at the Links above him. "Blue… Red… Green…" His voice was little more than a whisper. "I… I'm so glad I got to… be a part of your quest…"

"Don't say that!" Blue grit his teeth. "You're going to be… alright..." He faltered, knowing they would never be true, as he watched the life seep out of Komato slowly.

"I…" Komato struggled to make his words heard. "I never told any of you this. I never… never knew my family. They were little more than… images in my dreams."

The Links listened silently to Komato's last words.

Komato smiled. "I vowed to find them one day. One day, I would reunite with them. But… now, I realize I don't have to." Komato reached a weak talon up to the three Links. "My real family… is right here.

"Thank you so much… for everything… even though we didn't meet for long. _Link…_"

And then Komato's eyes closed, his breathing becoming slower and slower until it finally stopped.

Green, Red, and Blue could only stare at the limp form of Komato, uncomprehending. Red tried to force himself not to cry, but a stubborn tear slipped out, trailing down his cheek.

_You were all fools, trying to defeat me. This is the result, as you can see. A dearly loved one dead. Lay down your lives, and this can be stopped. And, anyways… _Arrogohus snorted. _It's only a weak, pitiful dragon._

Blue's hands clenched into fists. He looked at the others, who both nodded silently. Then, the three Links all got up at the same time, turning to face the monster.

"'Only a weak, pitiful dragon'?" Blue asked quietly, his voice as cold and hard as steel. "Says the _weak, pitiful _monster that hides in the shadows like a _coward_."

Arrogohus snarled, but he looked slightly taken aback by Blue's sudden anger. _How DARE you insult me, you little pests - _

As fast as lightning, the Links all charged towards the beast. Before Arrogohus could react, each Link had his sword out. Red and Green vaulted onto the beast's back, slicing their swords into the beast's flesh and hacking away mercilessly. As the beast howled in agony, Blue readied himself on front of the great monster, then hurled his sword straight into the gaping maw of the beast.

The beast choked on the blade, wailing in agony, as the sword sliced it from the inside out. Arrogohus thrashed around, causing the blade to brutally slice through its throat and cut all the way around in a perfect 360 degree angle, decapitating the beast's head from its body. As the disembodied head of the monster that had haunted them for so long fell to the floor, the body swayed drunkenly, then collapsed on its side. Red and Green leaped off and ran to Blue, where they all watched as the beast withered into purple dust.

Around them, the darkness began to fade, slowly lightening. Within moments, the ground turned grassy, and the sky lit up in a brilliant blue, scattered milky white clouds forming and drifting in the air.

Even though they had defeated the monster, the Links' hearts grew heavy as they turned to look at Komato. Green walked over to him and picked him up gently. Komato's face was calm and peaceful, and it almost looked like he was only drifting in a peaceful slumber. Green let his tears fall freely, not bothering to wipe them away or even be embarrassed by them. "There," Green whispered softly. "You can rest now." He closed his hands over Komato.

_He is happy, _a gentle voice issued behind them. The Links turned to see a majestic, shimmering horse walking slowly towards them. As the horse reached them, the horse turned into a white-gowned maiden with golden curls, her eyes closed. _I thank you for giving him kindness and love. He will not forget you, even while in where he cannot be called back. _The maiden's eyes opened. They were a startling bright blue, as if her eyes were reflecting the pure color of the sky. _I am… the Goddess of the Four Sword. By defeating the monster, you have rescued me and the inhabitants of the cursed Dark World. Your name will always be remembered by them, and now they will be able to rest in peace. But there is still a great darkness over Hyrule. Ganondorf, Vaati, and your shadow are still out there. Even though you have saved me, they still hold her royal majesty, Princess Zelda, captive. The darkness resides in one final place..._

_The Palace of the Winds. I will send you on your way. Your courage, hope and faith have been unwavering and strong, especially for what you have been through. But now, it's time for the final hurdle, the final obstacle. _The maiden held her right hand out to the Links. Resting inside was a sphere of light. _This was the light force your shadow had taken away from you. Heroes… use it to drive away the darkness._

As the light descended down into the Links' swords, infusing the blades with their light, the blades of the Four Sword brightened from a faint blue to a sharp, glowing gold, its shine noticeable even in the daylight. The Links stared at their swords, each dwelling on what they'd been through in the past.

Now, their true wits and strength would be tested.

_Are you ready? _The maiden asked.

Green looked at the others, who all nodded. They had come so far together.

Green smiled, and then he spoke one word:

"_Yes._"

A shimmering light enveloped the Links, covering them in pure, white light. Then, the light faded, having sent the Links to their final destination of their journey.

* * *

**Dargon: I'm so sorry! It was all cruel fate… I'M SORRY, KOMATO!**

**Thanks to everyone who took the time to review! And thanks to all our viewers and readers again! You guys are all AWESOME! Please review on storyline, plot suggestions, style of writing, and questions you may have! THANKS SO MUCH I REPEAT THIS TOO MANY TIMES! :D**

**Nike: I didn't edit anything this time. This chappie was solely Dargon's work. Nice job! :D (I was being a meanie, and reading stuff on lolsotrue ) Ha...srry 'bout that.**


	8. A Shadow Brother

**Dargon: Heeeeeeeellllllllloooooo! Hai, guys! Dargon here again! THE NEXT CHAPTER IS HERE! Yay! **

**Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed! I've read them all, don't worry :D and your encouraging words are AWESOME! Thanks so much to all of our readers and reviewers! Please, review on storyline, plot suggestions, writing, and/or questions! THANKS AGAIN! AND AGAIN! On with da show~!**

* * *

** Disclaimer: I really, really, really wish we could own all those great books and games out there. Sigh… welp, you know the deal! We don't own anything!**

* * *

Green, Red, and Blue dashed down the elaborate, golden hallway of the the Palace of the Winds. Shortly after they had arrived, with the help of the Goddess of the Four Sword, the three had charged into the palace, determined to get things going.

Green pointed up ahead to a set of brass double doors at the other end of the hallway. "It should be in there!" he yelled as they ran towards them.

As they reached the doors, however, Green reaching for the large doorknob to open the doors, Red hesitated. "Uh…"

Green looked curiously back at the red Link, who seemed to be shifting worriedly. "What?"

"I… I…" Red struggled to find a way to express his feelings.

"Hurry up," Blue snapped.

Red stuttered. "U-Um… I just wanted to say… We've been through a lot together, and if this really is the last place, where the darkness is, we might not… come back out alive. And… if that happens, it was... really nice adventuring with you guys."

There was a bit of a silence for a moment, and then Blue snorted, breaking the ice. "Dawww. I'm welling up with tears. C'mon," he added, seeing Red's hurt look and mussing up Red's hair playfully, "where's the optimistic Red? We're gonna get out of here alive, so stop worrying, crybaby!"

Green smiled. Blue seemed to be becoming softer by comforting Red, even in all of his hotheadedness and aggressive glory. "Don't worry, Red. We'll make it out. And," he added, lowering his voice to a whisper, "If we're wrong, you can punch Blue in the arm."

"Hey!" Blue protested hotly.

"P-Punch him in the arm…?" Red squeaked, looking horrified at the thought, mainly due to his innocent and kind nature.

Green grinned, turning back to the doors. "Kidding. Let's do this!" Before he could have second thoughts or change his mind, he turned the doorknob and shoved it open.

* * *

Another chamber. _Why does it seem like we almost always have our monster battles in a chamber? _Blue thought as he glanced around the colossal chamber, its floors and walls shining with a golden luster and golden-framed marble pillars supporting the ceiling. The large, empty room was foreboding, a cold chill in the air and an eerie atmosphere hovering over the Links.

"...You're finally here."

Unsurprised, Blue turned around, searching for the owner of the voice, but nothing was there.

Shadow Link's voice issued out from the darkness. "I have to say, I was not expecting you to be able to come out of the Dark Realm alive."

"You little _jerk_," Blue snapped. "What have you done with Vio?!"

"Oh, nothing… much. Pesky ants, trying to get in the way of darkness's plans. I'm surprised you made it this far. But you must be stopped here. Say hello to my… ah, _pet_."

Out of the darkness, a large, towering figure emerged, first its head, body, then tail. With every step it took, the floor shook slightly. Blue craned his neck upwards to look at the gigantic monster, its head almost brushing the ceiling.

"It's…" Green breathed, staring at the great beast.

The dragon that loomed over them was covered in dark purple scales, with sharp, bony spikes that ran from the creature's neck along the peak of its body, all the way down to the tip of its tail. Great wings were folded against the dragon's flanks, and the dragon's fangs and claws looked _way_ too sharp. The monster leered at the Links with icy blue eyes, which shone with a certain intelligence that the previous beasts they had fought certainly did not have.

Blue had a feeling this wouldn't be as easy as they thought it would.

"Not _another_ monster..." Blue muttered, groaning inwardly.

The dragon looked at the Links, tilting its head slightly to the side like a dog's, as if studying them.

"What're you waiting for?" Shadow's cold voice taunted. "Go on. Kill them!"

As if spited by the shadow's words, the dragon suddenly gave a low growl that rattled in the Links' ears, snapping its jaws open, and a column of flame blasted out, frying the air as it whipped towards the Links. Before it reached them, though, Red summoned his power, willing his concentration to spread to the fire, and then causing the fire to swerve away from them and blast into the ground beside them, leaving a smoking crater.

Roaring in fury, the dragon lunged forwards, lashing out at the Links with its claws. The sharp talons raked the ground with them as it missed, creating a horrible, scraping sound, like fingernails on a chalkboard. The Links managed to dodge the attack, rolling to the side just as the monster's steely claws flashed in the air where they had just been.

The dragon glowered at the Links, backing up, as if it were deciding something. It roared again, and chunks of the ground suddenly dispatched themselves from the rocky earth, rising into the air and leaving holes in the ground in which they used to rest. The three barely had time to react when the giant boulders hurled themselves at them.

Blue could only remember a fleeting, weightless sensation for a moment, and then cold, sharp reality as sudden pain shot up sharply in his right arm. Blue wrenched his eyes open to see boulders the size of houses littering the ground around him. He whipped around to see what was causing the pain in his arm and nearly gasped when he saw that his arm was pinned down by one of the rocks, wedged firmly underneath. Blue strained as he tried to yank himself free, but the stubborn rock resisted. A shadow fell over the trapped hero, and he turned to see the dragon looming over him, ready to deliver the final blow.

_Dang it! _Blue cringed as the pain redoubled. Gritting his teeth, he drew out his sword with his left arm. Where were the others? There were no sign of them amidst the rocks that lay scattered on the ground.

Too late to think about that now. The dragon opened its talons, extending its claws, and lunged for Blue. Blue readied himself, panting hard, his sword in hand.

_Wait for it…_

The moment the dragon was upon him, Blue let out a wild cry and stabbed his sword upwards, managing to nail the dragon in its unprotected underbelly. Blood gushed over Blue as the monster howled, stumbling to the side. The monster crashed against the rock that was pinning Blue to the ground, causing it to shatter into fragments and freeing him. Blue leapt out of the way as one of the dragon's talons smashed into the ground right in front of him. Clutching his injured arm in pain and not daring to look at it, Blue scanned the area in desperation. "Green? Red?" he called.

"Over here!" he heard a yell behind him, and turned to see Green and Red racing towards him.

Red gasped as he saw Blue. "Y-Your arm!" he cried.

Blue grit his teeth, still refusing to look at it. "I prefer not to think about it."

"B-But…"

"Watch out!" Green suddenly shouted, shoving them to the side as another swipe from the dragon raked over their heads. The dragon screeched in insane, uncontrollable anger as it charged towards the Links, as if it was trying to take them out by flattening them. The Links rolled to the side to avoid the sudden attack, but as the dragon went past, an idea suddenly came to Green. Drawing his sword in a quick flash, he raised it high above his head, then sent the tip down into the dragon's tail as it swept past him. Green forced all of his strength into his sword, driving it through its tail and pinning it down to the ground, causing the dragon to screech to a halt, held firmly in place by the sword. The monster shrieked in agony.

Without hesitating, as soon as he saw what Green had done, Red leaped up at the dragon, landing on its snout. As the dragon realized Red was on him, Red took a deep breath and thrust his sword straight between the monster's eyes.

Red dropped to the ground as blood poured out in torrents, tingeing the ground scarlet. A guttural roar ripped from the beast's throat as it staggered, the beast glaring with pure, raw hate at the Links, then collapsed. The dragon's body began to disintegrate, glowing faintly as it dissolved quickly. Soon, there was nothing left of the beast, except for a pool of blood.

But not just a pool of blood…

_What… was that? _Red ran towards the figure lying in the middle of the pool. When he reached it, Red dropped to his knees beside it and gently turned it over on its back.

"VIO!" he cried, as Vio groaned, covered head to toe in dark red blood.

"What?!" Having heard Red's shout, the green and blue Links joined him.

"How…?" Green gasped, staring at the violet-clad Link.

"The dragon was _him_?!" Blue asked incredulously.

Suddenly, Vio's eyes shot open. He staggered to his feet, drawing out his bow. As fast as lightning, he fitted two arrows to his bow, and then shot it in front of him. The arrows disappeared into the gloom.

The Links stared at Vio. Had that just been a simple act of insanity…?

Seconds later, they all heard a loud screech, and then Shadow collapsed to the ground in front of the Links.

Vio knew the others were wide-eyed behind him. He knew they were wondering how he'd known Shadow was hiding there. He knew they had no idea what was going on.

But there was something that had to be taken care of.

Vio walked over to the crumpled shadow on the ground, writhing in pain from the arrows that had been shot through his chest. Shadow cringed as he came closer.

"Okay, then, go on. Kill me. What're you waiting for? This is your revenge." The shadow winced, waiting for Vio's sword to end him for good.

"I'm not going to kill you." Vio's response was quiet, cutting through the silence.

Shadow stared up at the violet-clad Link. Finally, he laughed. "This is a joke, right?"

"No. It's not. Why would I kill you?"

An unexpected anger suddenly burst inside of Shadow. "Why would… _Why would you kill me_? Well, maybe I kidnapped Princess Zelda and the Goddess of the Four Sword! Maybe I stormed Hyrule Castle with demons and killed thousands of_ innocent_ guards who had families that were waiting for them to come home!" Shadow's voice grew louder and louder. "Maybe I separated you from the others! MAYBE I TURNED YOU INTO A MONSTER, AND SET YOU AGAINST _YOUR OWN BROTHERS_!" Panting, breathing heavily, he glared at the Link opposite him. "I DID ALL THOSE THINGS TO YOU, AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO KILL ME FOR IT?" Shadow laughed coldly. "Oh, I deserve it. I deserve to die twenty times. Not even that. Not even a hundred deaths would cut it. I wanted to shatter your soul. I wanted to drain your hopes out of you, and I didn't even _care_."

Vio was silent for a moment. Then, he said, "You may have done those things. But that was the _past_. Forget about all that. I don't care if you did any of those things. Your name implies the word shadow. But you're not a shadow. You have to stop dwelling on who you think you are."

"I'm a _monster_," Shadow growled.

"Do you want to be one?"

"...No."

"If you were really a monster, would you have regretted everything that you had done? Would you be saying that you don't want to be a monster? A person's identity is not determined on what the world expects him to become, or even how he was created. It's what you choose for yourself."

"Why are you doing this?" Shadow hissed.

"The first time I saw you, I knew you weren't evil. You were… hopeful. And determined. But you were also sure that you would never be able to be a regular person to others, an _equal_, just a monster, because of your appearance, and how you were born as a dark creature. And also… it was you who helped us in the Castle in the Sky, when we would've died because of the air pressure, wasn't it?"

Shadow stared at the floor.

Shadow hated that Vio was right in every way. Oh, he wanted to believe what Vio had told him, that he wasn't really a monster. But still, doubt lingered in the pit of his stomach.

Then, Vio said the words that changed everything.

"_You're one of us._"

Shadow froze as the words rebounded in his ears, over and over again.

"...Really?" he whispered, his voice quiet enough to be missed, but Vio heard.

Vio smiled.

"Yes."

The other Links silently watched their exchange. Before, they had only thought that Shadow had been their evil counterpart, only fit for his own evil deeds.

_More than what meets the eye._

Vio, though he usually relied on reason or logic, had always been the sentimental one, like Red. He could always see farther than the others did in a person, in meaning. Green completely trusted Vio and his hunches, and he knew that Vio had been able to see Shadow's true feelings, under the mask he wore.

Shadow stared at the ground. "I…"

Suddenly, a loud crack issued around the whole chamber. _Foolish traitor…you dare defy the darkness? _A deep voice rumbled throughout the chamber, growling. Shadow flinched.

_Yes, it seems that you have lost your senses, and let these pitiful little ants change your mind. We have no use for you anymore. If you would like to fight alongside them, do so... and die along with them!_

The ground underneath the Links began to rumble, shaking as wide seams began to crisscross the floor, and the five knew they would not be able to dodge this attack. The Links looked at each other as the floor began to fall apart, breaking up.

Vio helped Shadow to his feet, smiling. "Sorry for the whole arrow thing."

Shadow stared at him, surprise at how calm he was, even as the ground fell apart underneath them, soon to also send the Links falling into the abyss. "How can you act so calm? Who knows where this leads to!" Shadow pointed at the chasm below them.

Vio glanced at the others. "Well, we've been through a lot together…"

"...and this is only the beginning." Green finished.

"Who knows where we'll end up next, but…" Blue trailed off.

"But we'll face it together." Red smiled. "No matter what happens."

Shadow looked around at them all. Green's set, determined face, Blue's cocky, aggressive stance, Red's hopeful, innocent expression, and Vio's calm, collected tone.

"Do you all really accept me?" he asked quietly. How could he fit into such a perfect group...?

The Links all smiled. "You're one of us," they repeated.

Vio grabbed his arm, forcing the shadow Link to look at him. "Look, it's not the four of us anymore. It's the _five_ of us now. And we're not leaving our brother behind. And we _will_ face whatever's in store for us next. _Together_. Will you fight with us?"

Shadow looked into the violet clad boy's eyes, reveling in their piercing, blue irises. He smiled, and nodded.

And then, the last of the floor gave way underneath them, sending the Links plummeting down into the abyss of the sky, the brilliant blue of the sky around them as they fell.

The Links each knew that Ganon and Vaati would not let them die without being the ones to kill the heroes themselves.

It was time to finally fight the darkness. Of course, there was doubt that they would be able to defeat the darkness, but at least the five Links would be able to face their ends together, as a team in unity.

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**Dargon: MY GOSH WE'RE GETTING TO THE END OF THIS STORY! Sorry for the short chapter! **

**What will happen to the Links? The future holds all the answers, but there is no way to know them! I hope you enjoyed this! Thanks so much to all of our readers and reviewers! EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF YOU GUYSES ARE GREAT! And, as I always say, please, review on thoughts about the storyline, plot suggestions, style of writing, questions, and/or even more, so I can improve on feedback and shtuff! Thanks y'all again!**


	9. The Way of the Heroes

**Dargon: Again, for the one hundreth time… THANKS TO EVERYONE! If you reviewed, THANKS TO Y'ALL! If you viewed, THANKS TO Y'ALL! Even if you are reading these words. These words. THANKS. SO. MUCH! More than 900 views! I'd just like to say how glad I am that so many of you guys are reading and enjoying this story, and glad that I can be your writer! Please, review if you feel that something could be better in my writing or something! **

**I apologize for the long delay! I'm really sorry… Writer's Block decided to pay me a visit!**

**ANDDDD… HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

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** Disclaimer: My gosh, LoZ is AWESOME. But… I don't own it. DANG IT!**

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The air rushed up around Green, pushing up against his feet as he fell down through the sky. Milky white clouds swirled in and out of his vision, causing a cold chill to rush through him every time the water vapor came in contact with his skin. Green looked down to see ground coming up fast, and he bent his knees, preparing for landing. Just before he hit the earth, he tucked in and rolled, coming up on one knee without a scratch on the ground. Green sprang to his feet and looked around him. He was on some kind of circular platform, raised miles above the ground. Four identical pillars lined the circumference of the platform, each placed the same distance from each other.

"Green!" he heard a shout, and Green turned to see the others racing towards him.

Green looked around at the others. "W-Where's Shadow?"

Blue shrugged. "He wasn't with us when we landed."

"He can't go into the light, can he…" Green looked at Vio, who nodded tightly, worry creasing his expression. "So… where could he be?"

Before anyone could respond, a sudden, sharp _crack_ rang through the air. The Links whipped around to see a pulsing, dark shadow, rising up in the center of the pavillion.

_You've fallen into my trap, pesky heroes. _The dark mass angrily swirled around, like a trapped thunderstorm. _Did you believe we would let the shadow traitor side with you fleas? That will never happen. Darkness isn't supposed to mix with light… as the traitor is learning now._

Another orb of darkness blossomed into existence at the base of one of the pillars. The orb then dissipated, revealing a figure chained to the pillar by a set of iron chains.

"SHADOW!" Vio cried. Shadow screeched in agony as the daylight hit him directly, causing him to collapse to the ground in pain, clawing at his chains.

_As soon as we dispose of you four fools, he will soon die as well. Face it, heroes… you will never defeat us. You will never be able to save your fair maiden, Princess Zelda._

The darkness began to pulse a dark, ominous purple as the mass began to stretch and split, forming a colossal figure that rose into the air, cackling madly. Then, the shadow's features seeped into it, revealing a monster with two sets of leathery wings, black tentacles, and a single blood-red eye that shone in the middle of the monster's head, glinting maliciously.

"Vaati…" Vio looked up silently at the beast, his eyes widening.

_Yes, you are quite correct. I am Vaati, the Wind Mage. Now… welcome… to your DOOM! _With a roar, the monster's tentacles suddenly whipped towards the Links, smashing into the earth and forcing them to dodge out of the way. Green stumbled to the right, glancing up at the gigantic monster. How were they supposed to defeat that _thing_?

Another tentacle slashed at him from behind, sending him crashing straight into one of the pillars flanking the edge of the platform. Spots danced in Green's vision as he staggered to his feet.

_Quite fragile, aren't you, heroes? _Vaati taunted. _Maybe this will end faster than I had comprehended._

The monster began to beat its leathery wings, beating them faster and faster and whipping up the air until a fierce windstorm blasted against the four Links, nearly knocking them off of their feet. Green struggled to stay on his feet; if he lost his grip on the ground, he would be swept right off of the pavillion, falling down to the ground below, miles below them.

Closing his eyes, Green concentrated hard. _Maybe… if he could just seize control of Vaati's winds…_Focusing on the wind whipping around him, he imagined it was part of him, coaxing it to do his bidding…

Vaati snarled. _What are you… _The winds suddenly sputtered, disappearing for a split second, then continuing to blow. Green suddenly felt another force in his concentration, and he knew it was Vaati's power, wrestling with him for control over the winds. The Wind Mage's power was stronger, though, and Green began to lose his focus rapidly as Vaati overwhelmed him. _This wasn't going to work..._

A howl cut through the air, reverberating in Green's ears as he opened his eyes, searching for the cause of disturbance. And then he saw it; Red had taken out his slingshot and had managed to nail the demon straight in the eye. Of course, the small stone hadn't hurt the beast at all, but it had taken his focus for a split second, and that was all Green needed.

The winds spluttered again, this time ceasing, and then the winds suddenly stopped blowing. Vaati roared in irritation and raised his wings to summon another windstorm when Vio rolled, ducking low to the ground as he shot a volley of five arrows straight into the demon's eye.

_ARGH! _Vaati screeched. _INSOLENT FOOLS! _Blood flowed freely from his wounded eye as the monster tumbled out of the air, crashing with a heavy thud onto the center of the pavillion.

"Back off!" Vio shouted, and leapt forwards, his sword raised above his head, and brought it down with full force onto the monster, slicing a huge chunk out of the demon's eye.

Vaati howled as he flailed, blood spurting out of his eye in red bursts. _HOW DARE YOU… THIS IS NOT OVER YET! I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED AT THE HANDS OF PUNY MORTALS!_

A great roar emitted from the monster's throat as its body curled into a giant sphere of darkness. The orb flashed a bright green, red, blue, and then purple, then split into four separate smaller spheres. The spheres drifted to each of the four pillars flanking the edge of the pavillion, and took shape.

Red's eyes grew wide as he stared up at the top of the pillar in front of him, to see…

..._him_ staring back at him.

It was just like Shadow Link, in the essence that it was just of copy of him. But unlike Shadow, the new evil Link that grinned wickedly down at him was clothed in scarlet, just like Red, and had eyes the color of freshly shed blood… unlike Red.

Red cast a quick look around him as he backed up into the center of the pavillion, the others at his back in a circle, each of the real Links facing outward at a pillar. There, standing atop the other pillars, were three more Links that were clad in blue, green, and purple, all with red eyes.

_One last trick for you fools, _all of the demonic Links hissed from their perches on the pillars. _You have fought against many beasts… but what about a battle with yourself? _Cackling with laughter, all of the Vaati Links leaped off of their pillars at the same time. The scarlet demon Link landed with a slight thump on the ground, in front of Red. Red swung his sword at the opposing demon, but in a flash, the Vaati Link had blocked his attack with his own Four Sword - or at least, a copy of it.

_A pity, _the monster Red sighed mockingly, effortlessly shoving Red's blade out of the way and causing Red to stumble backwards. _The timid, most innocent one of the group… It's no wonder the others can't put up with you._

"Wha… what are you talking about?" Red stuttered, shaking as he nearly dropped his sword.

_You're always the one holding your brothers back, the heavy burden. Your strength is quite weak and insufferable. Mostly, it's your brothers doing all of the work. _The fake Link sneered.

"T-That's not…" Red stopped as the reality of the copy's words began to sink in.

_Maybe he's right._

Did Blue pick on him because he was weak? Did Green argue back for Red because he thought Red couldn't fight for himself? Did Vio think of him as an incompetent fool?

_Yes… you see… the others have no need for you. Don't be the heavy, negative weight of their burden anymore. _The fake, Vaati Link growled as he raised his sword over Red as the hero stood stock-still, frozen in place. _It would be much better and painless to kill yourself. Let me destroy you, and let your pains be eased._

Red was silent.

The monster Link snarled in triumph and slashed downwards at Red's head.

_That may be… _Red thought quietly as the blade whipped towards him, inches from cutting into his skull.

_They may think I'm weak at times…_

_But we all know we're the same._

With a furious cry, Red rolled to the side, coming up behind the fake Link. With a mighty, single slash, Red whipped around, slicing straight through the Vaati Link's body. The fake duplicate screeched as it disintegrated, into black particles, rising into the air. Red looked up, panting, just in time to see the other real Links finish off their Vaati duplicates as well, reducing them into more black fragments.

The particles of shadow fused together,converging to form the great body of Vaati again.

_You may have defeated me… _Vaati's eye narrowed. _But I am not the only one. Ganon, king of darkness… _Vaati's body began to shift as the monster let out a long, hideous wail that reverberated in the air. Even when the Links had thought their enemy could not get much bigger, Vaati's form began to grow in size, until it was a shifting giant.

Dark, stormy clouds formed in the air, rolling and coating the blue sky with its dark tendrils. Lightning flashed in the background, lighting up the dark clouds and showing the giant's true form, a demonic boar that had taken the place of the evil Wind Mage.

"It's… it's…" Red swallowed hard.

"It can't be…" Green stared at the monster that stood before them now. "T-That's…"

"Ganon… the king of darkness." Vio finished for him.

The beast chortled, enjoying their stunned looks of surprise and fear. _My, the Wind Mage was quite ineffective. But it was merely only that, a pawn. Both the shadow and the mage have both failed me. Shall it be by my hand that you die once and for all? Very well, then. _

_Give me the Four Sword! _

As quick as lightning, Ganon roared and slammed both of his paws down onto the platform in which the Links were standing, knocking the Links off of their feet. Without pausing, the beast raised his hand, and suddenly, lightning tore from the palm of his hand down to the pavillion, where it exploded into the earth.

It was as if he was paralyzed. Red struggled to get up as Ganon slowly advanced on them, grinning maliciously and taking his time, as he knew they were done for. Red's clothes were smoking, and he felt as if his skin had melted, burned right off.

"N-No!" he tried to cry out, as a pulsing ball that crackled and fizzled with dark electricity formed between Ganon's hands, a sure sign that he would use it to end the heroes. Would they die here?

They had come so close…

_But not close enough. _Red squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the end.

Shadow watched in horror, paralyzed, from his chains as Ganon lifted the sphere above his head, about to bring it down on the heroes.

_Well… here's your chance to do something good for your life, _Shadow reminded himself silently.

The time had come.

While the daylight had been blocked out from the dark clouds that had covered it, Shadow had been able to restore some of his energy and power. Now, with the last strength he had, he focused hard on his chains, and they snapped apart. Without much hesitation, Shadow raced towards the Links just as Ganon brought the final, ending blow down…

And leaped right between his brothers and the attack.

As the pulsing ball came in contact with his body, he closed his eyes, channeling all of his energy into the sphere of electricity, and sent it hurtling straight back at Ganon.

_What-_ Ganon roared as electricity arcing along his matted, coarse fur. _You little… shadow… WEAKLING!_

"NO!' The Links yelled as Shadow collapsed to the ground in front of them.

Ganon staggered, clutching as his right arm. He growled. _Nice try… but that is not enough to defeat me. You have only killed yourself._

Blue grit his teeth. Was he dead? Blue stared at Shadow's limp body, trying to see some hint that he was still alive, but Shadow remained still.

Too still.

It couldn't be…

_Yes, it's a pity you all have to die. But I am afraid you have went too far. _Ganon snarled angrily. He lifted his hands up to the sky again, this time two orbs of pulsing electricity blossoming in his palms. _There will be no one to take the blow for you now, heroes._

Green glanced at the others. They all nodded in silent agreement. They couldn't take him out by each of them just attacking him, like they had previously done on the other monsters…

_But with a combined power…_

Each one of the Links concentrated hard, focusing on drawing their powers out. Then, the Links wrapped their energy around each other, linking them all as one chain of raw energy. Light began to glow as the Links combined their elemental abilities, fire, water, earth, and wind all joining together.

Just as Ganon brought down the death blow, the two spheres spiraling towards the heroes, the Links released their hold on their concentration. A loud snap, like the sound of a rubber band breaking, sounded as a sphere of pure, white light blasted forth, quickly swallowing the orbs of electricity up as the light shot towards Ganon.

Ganon howled, clawing at the air as the light enveloped him. _NO! Not… not the cursed… LIGHT! You will never win! Darkness will rule forever! _The beast's skin began to melt as the light shrouded the monster, persistently growing larger and larger with each of Ganon's tortured, agonized wails. The monster's form seemed to fold in on itself, becoming smaller and smaller until it exploded, black shards of shadow hovering in the air.

The Links all raised their swords as the shards were sucked up into each of their blades, swallowed up by the metal. With a final flash, the light curled and rose upwards into the air until it had melted into the sky.

The king of darkness and evil was gone.

Daylight began to break through the dark canopy of clouds, shining onto the pavilion, as the dark clouds hanging overhead began to swirl and dissipate. A wide shaft of light fell directly onto the center of the pavillion as a lone figure descended down from amidst the clouds, landing softly on the ground.

"ZELDA!" The four yelled, rushing towards the princess.

The young girl opened her eyes as they approached, blinking in confusion as she looked around her. "Green? Blue? Red? Vio? Where… where did Ganon..."

"H-He's gone." Green smiled weakly, but his face quickly darkened.

Zelda looked at all of their solemn faces. Shouldn't they be happy that the darkness was obliterated? "...What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

The Links parted slightly to reveal the limp, motionless figure of Shadow, lying a few feet away.

Zelda's eyes widened and she ran to him, the Links following closely behind. As they came closer, Green dully noted that the shadow's coloring was an unnatural, pale gray, deeply unlike his usual charcoal-black complexion. His eyes were closed, and there were wounds tainting his body.

"Is he…" Zelda looked up at Green.

Green shook his head.

"Shadow…" Vio muttered, dropping to his knees next to the body. "Shadow, say something!"

No response. Red joined Vio on the ground, fumbling with shaking fingers for Shadow's wrist. Desperately, he felt for a pulse, some sign that he was alive.

Nothing.

"SHADOW!" Blue yelled. "Why… why…"

As Green stared down at Shadow, another memory began to resurface; Komato dying, lying on the ground, his flesh mutated, ripped apart…

Komato had sacrificed himself. And now, Shadow had done the same.

The Links were silent as they closed their eyes, each of them filled with sorrow. The sun's light fell on their little circle, the children around their brother.

Suddenly…

Vio felt a weak hand tug on his sleeve. He wrenched his eyes open to see Shadow smiling weakly, wincing slightly, his eyes half open. Vio gave a startled, overjoyed cry, and the others looked up to see what was going on.

"Shadow!" they all cried.

Shadow's grip tightened on Vio's arm, as he whispered, "I… I'm here. I'm not… gone…"

"I know," Vio murmured, wiping his eyes with his other sleeve. "I know."


	10. The Shadow in Light

**Dargon: Thanks to every single one of our readers and reviewers, for sticking with the Links and their story! Here is the final chapter of The Legend of Zelda: The Four Heroes. Thanks you all, once again, for reading and reviewing! This story may be over, but I would really appreciate feedback and review, for future stories! :D**

** And… EPILOGUE!**

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The five Links and Zelda stood in the goddess of the Four Sword's spring, standing silently in front of the stone pedestal that had held the Four Sword, before Green had drawn it. And now, it would once again carry a magical weapon.

The goddess of the Four Sword hovered in the air behind the pedestal. _Heroes… _she began softly, and the Links looked up from their musings to the maiden.

_The courage, faith, and hope you have shown is rivaled by none other man._

_I thank you all for freeing me and her majesty, Princess Zelda._

_You have also defeated the darkness and saved Hyrule from a grisly, dark fate._

_Now…_

_Ganon has been sealed into the Four Sword. To prevent him from ever rising again, the Four Sword must be returned to where it once was, and will forever be, acting as a seal on the great king of evil and darkness._

_Link…_

_Return the Sword._

Green took a deep breath, glancing hesitantly at the others for courage. They all nodded, smiling encouragingly, and Green steeled himself, walking forward until he was in front of the pedestal. Drawing the Four Sword silently, he looked one last time at the blade. Then, taking a deep breath, closing his eyes, he let the memories of the past he had had of his adventure with the others flow through him, and lowered the sword slowly, tip first, back into the stone pedestal.

Green opened his eyes and stepped away. The Four Sword gleamed brightly for a second, turning a faint white, and then the glow subsided.

The Four Sword was back in its rightful place. The goddess smiled.

_You have shown much hope, for being only children._

_Link… your mother would be proud._

_Your great journey is over. Thank you, heroes._

The maiden turned towards Shadow, who was hovering uncertainly behind the Links, as if unsure if he belonged there or not. The goddess walked slowly over to Shadow, bathing him in her light. Reaching a soft hand out to him, she laid her hand gently on his cheek.

_You are a Link, a hero._

_You are not a dark creature, Shadow. How could you be, with your great heart? _

_For your deeds in helping your brothers overcome the Dark Lord, and serving as a sacrifice…_

_I will give you access to the light._

_You were born a shadow being. You despised the light._

_But now, you can live in it._

The goddess turned, and smiled at the group. _Thank you all, once more. May we meet again…_

She waved her hand, and she disappeared in a spark of light. As she dissipated, the spring around the Links began to fade away into the air. Green raised his hand tentatively towards the spring, but as the last of it shimmered away, leaving the group in a clearing in the forest, he lowered his hand.

"I'll never forget this adventure," Green murmured.

"No one will," Vio agreed.

Red smiled and sang, "Wonder Links, Wonder Links, we've saved the day, defeating the evil Ganondorf and saving Zelda!"

Everyone laughed.

"Well, it looks like everything's back to normal." Blue shrugged, playfully mussing up Red's hair. "Want to go back to the house?"

"Wait." Vio turned to Shadow. He extended a hand towards him. "Do you… would you… like to come live with us?"

Shadow started, jerking his head up to stare at them all. He had just been wondering where he would go now, with the darkness over Hyrule obliterated. "...Seriously?"

The Links all nodded, grinning.

"Yay!" Red cheered.

"You can go out in daylight now, thanks to the goddess, so it wouldn't be much of a big deal, right?" Blue asked.

Shadow smiled. "I suppose it wouldn't..."

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The Links journeyed back home, and from there on out, they were able to live a normal life. They cared for Shadow until he was fully healed from his wounds, and then Shadow would join them outside, reveling in him being able to stand in the direct daylight.

The Links visited Zelda almost every day.

Often, each Link would catch himself staring out at the clearing through the window in which the spring of the Four Sword Goddess and the Four Sword had once resided. As the years passed, the Links lived an enjoyable life, though they would never forget the adventure they had had with the Four Sword… nor a certain friend.

One night, the Links were all sitting in front of their house, watching the night sky.

Blue was on his back, lying contentedly in the grass, one leg crossed over the other and his hands resting underneath his head. Suddenly, something faint glinted in the night sky, and Blue sat straight up, peering at the sky.

It was a constellation, a precise one. Blue smiled sadly as the shape of the pattern of stars came to his mind, and he nudged the others to look. The constellation was of a little dragon. But not just any dragon.

"Komato…" Red murmured, as he looked up at the constellation.

The stars shifted, creating a new picture; Komato, with a whole family of other dragons behind him, each with his big eyes and little snout. Blue could've sworn Komato had waved cheerfully at them before the constellation disappeared, the stars flickering and blending into the twilit sea of sky again.

Blue relaxed, lying back down. Komato wasn't gone. He would always be there.

And the little dragon was finally with his family.

_And so am I, _Blue thought, as he closed his eyes.

_**- END -**_

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**I can't stop saying how glad I am that so many of you guys like this! :D Thanks SO MUCH TO ALL OF OUR READERS, REVIEWERS, FAVORITERS, AND FOLLOWERS! This story is over… but please, review! It would help me a lot if you feel that there's something I should change and send feedback! THANKS! **

**Make sure to check on updates on our profile, which we update occasionally! :D**

** Let me know if you would like me to write another FF about The Legend of Zelda (any game, really! :D) in the reviews! Who knows, maybe I'll get off to doing it! After this FF, I think I'm ready to continue on other LoZ stories! I enjoy writing The Legend of Zelda fanfics, especially Four Swords, it's just AWSUM. :D **

** Thank you EVERYBODY once again… AND, SIGNING OFF! :D**

**-Dargon/Blue**

**Aqua: Psst. It's Green/Aqua here! I didn't do much, but I was just in time for the epilogue - I think. Anyway, this story is completely amazing. Dargon can be a real writer one day. This is better than anything that I've ever read in my life, and that's saying a lot. Kudos to you, Dargon!**


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